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Definition of peevish - 4 dictionary results

pee⋅vish

  [pee-vish]
Use peevish in a Sentence
–adjective
1. cross, querulous, or fretful, as from vexation or discontent: a peevish youngster.
2. showing annoyance, irritation, or bad mood: a peevish reply; a peevish frown.
3. perverse or obstinate.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME pevysh < ?

Related forms:
pee⋅vish⋅ly, adverb
pee⋅vish⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. petulant, irritable, snappish. See cross.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pee·vish   (pē'vĭsh)   
adj.  
    1. Querulous or discontented.
    2. Ill-tempered.
  2. Contrary; fractious.

[Middle English pevish, possibly from Latin perversus, past participle of perversus; see perverse.]
pee'vish·ly adv., pee'vish·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Peevish

Pee"vish\, a. [OE. pevische; of uncertain origin, perh. from a word imitative of the noise made by fretful children + -ish.]

1. Habitually fretful; easily vexed or fretted; hard to please; apt to complain; querulous; petulant. "Her peevish babe." --Wordsworth.

She is peevish, sullen, froward. --Shak.

2. Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction; as, a peevish answer.

3. Silly; childish; trifling. [Obs.]

To send such peevish tokens to a king. --Shak.

Syn: Querulous; petulant; cross; ill-tempered; testy; captious; discontented. See Fretful.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : peevish
Spanish: malhumorado,
German: verdrießlich,
Japanese: 気むずかしい
More Translations »

peevish 
1393, peyvesshe "perverse, capricious, silly," of uncertain origin, possibly modeled on L. perversus "reversed, perverse," pp. of pervertere "to turn about" (see pervert). Meaning "cross, fretful" first recorded c.1530. The verb peeve is a 1908 back-formation; pet peeve "the thing that provokes one most" is first attested 1919.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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