Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Somewhat hungry: Feeling a slight or moderate desire for food; not extremely hungry but ready to eat.
   • Easily irritated or annoyed: (Chiefly British, informal) Being in a slightly bad-tempered or irritable mood.

Usage

• The primary meaning describes a state of mild hunger.
• The secondary meaning, common in British English, describes a state of mild irritability.
• It is an informal, conversational word.

Examples

• Describing mild hunger:
  • I'm feeling a bit peckish; I might have a small snack.
  • The long meeting made everyone peckish.
• Describing mild irritability (chiefly British):
  • He gets peckish when he hasn't had his morning coffee.
  • Don't mind her, she's just a little peckish today.

Advanced Usage

• Often used with modifiers like "a bit," "a little," or "rather" to soften the statement.
  • I'm rather peckish. Is dinner soon?
  • She was a bit peckish after the long journey.

Variants and Related Words

• Peckishly (adverb): In a peckish manner.
  • He answered peckishly when asked about the delay.
• Peckishness (noun): The state of being peckish.
  • A sudden peckishness prompted her to raid the fridge.

Synonyms

• For "somewhat hungry": Hungry, famished, ravenous (these are stronger); snackish, peckish (these are milder).
• For "easily irritated": Irritable, grumpy, testy, fractious, nettlesome.

Related Phrases

• To feel peckish: The most common collocation to express the feeling.
  • I always feel peckish around mid-afternoon.

Adjective

1. easily irritated or annoyed
   • an incorrigibly fractious young man
   • not the least nettlesome of his countrymen
2. somewhat hungry