peevish
/'pi:viʃ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
The peevish child sits at a wooden kitchen table, scowling and crossing his arms over a bowl of cereal.
Definition
- Adjective:
- Easily irritated or annoyed: Describes a person who frequently becomes annoyed, especially over minor matters, and is often in a bad-tempered or sulky mood.
Usage
- The word "peevish" is used to describe a person's temperament or a temporary mood. It often implies a childish or unreasonable quality to the irritation.
- It is typically used as an adjective before a noun (e.g., a peevish child) or after a linking verb (e.g., He became peevish).
Examples
- The lack of sleep made him peevish and short-tempered all morning.
- She dismissed his peevish complaints about the weather.
- The peevish old man shouted at the children to get off his lawn.
Advanced Usage
- "to be peevish about something": to be irritable regarding a specific thing.
- He was peevish about the change in schedule.
- "in a peevish tone/manner": speaking or acting with irritation.
- "It's about time," she said in a peevish tone.
Variants and Related Words
- Peevishly (adverb): In an irritated or annoyed manner.
- He sighed peevishly.
- Peevishness (noun): The state or quality of being easily annoyed.
- Her constant peevishness was exhausting.
Synonyms
- Irritable: Having a tendency to be easily annoyed.
- Fractious: (Typically of a child) irritable and quarrelsome.
- Cantankerous: Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
- Petulant: Childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
- Testy: Easily irritated; impatient and somewhat bad-tempered.
Antonyms
- Good-natured: Kind, pleasant, or friendly.
- Easygoing: Relaxed and tolerant in attitude or manner.
- Amiable: Having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner.
Related Idioms
- None that feature the word "peevish" as the core component. The word itself describes a state that is central to its meaning.
The peevish child sits at a wooden kitchen table, scowling and crossing his arms over a bowl of cereal.
Adjective
- easily irritated or annoyed
- an incorrigibly fractious young man
- not the least nettlesome of his countrymen