Definition

1. 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.

Adjective

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