peevishness
/'pi:viʃnis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger: A state or quality of being easily annoyed or angered, often characterized by frequent, petty irritability.
- An irritable petulant feeling: The specific feeling of being cross, fretful, or in a bad mood.
Usage
- Peevishness is an uncountable noun describing a general irritable temperament or a temporary state of irritation.
- It is a formal term often used to describe a person's characteristic mood or a specific instance of such a mood.
Examples
- Noun:
- His constant peevishness made him difficult to work with. (This describes his general irritable disposition.)
- She apologized for her peevishness, blaming it on a lack of sleep. (This describes a temporary irritable feeling.)
Advanced Usage
- "with peevishness": in a manner showing irritation.
- He answered the question with obvious peevishness.
- The term often implies that the anger or irritation is unreasonable or disproportionate to the cause.
Variants and Related Words
- Peevish (adj): Easily irritated, especially by unimportant things.
- a peevish child
- Peevishly (adv): In a peevish manner.
- He sighed peevishly.
Synonyms
- Irritability: The quality of being easily annoyed.
- Petulance: Childish bad temper.
- Testiness: The state of being touchy and quick to anger.
- Crankiness: Informal term for irritability.
Antonyms
- Good humor: A cheerful, amiable state of mind.
- Patience: The capacity to accept delay or annoyance without getting angry.
- Equanimity: Calmness and composure, especially in difficult situations.
Idioms and Phrases
- While there is no common idiom using the exact word peevishness, the state is often described with phrases like:
- In a pet: In a fit of petty annoyance.
- To have a short fuse: To be easily angered.
Noun
- a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
- his temper was well known to all his employees
- an irritable petulant feeling