pet peeve

noun

: a frequent subject of complaint

Examples of pet peeve in a Sentence

One of my biggest pet peeves is people driving too slowly on the highway.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While forced fun/table games is my pet peeve, something about Christmas makes this time of year an exception. Felicity Carter, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 The lack of consistent officiating has long been a pet peeve within the garage, to the point that drivers are often befuddled as to what constitutes a penalty and what doesn’t. Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024 The most exciting change to macOS with the Sequoia update has to be the new window-management feature, addressing my biggest Mac pet peeve for years. PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024 My wife, for instance, would probably tell you her pet peeve is the fact that her husband has been ignoring her to write obsessively about Survivor for the past 24 years. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pet peeve 

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pet peeve was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near pet peeve

Cite this Entry

“Pet peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pet%20peeve. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on pet peeve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!