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Definition of petulant - 4 dictionary results
pet⋅u⋅lant
[pech-uh-luh
nt]
–adjective
| moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head. |
Origin:
1590–1600; < L petulant- (s. of petulāns) impudent, akin to petere to seek, head for
1590–1600; < L petulant- (s. of petulāns) impudent, akin to petere to seek, head for

Related forms:
pet⋅u⋅lant⋅ly, adverb
Synonyms:
irritable, peevish, fretful, pettish, touchy.
irritable, peevish, fretful, pettish, touchy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To petulant
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Petulant
Pet"u*lant\, a. [L. petulans, -antis, prop., making slight attacks upon, from a lost dim. of petere to fall upon, to attack: cf. F. p['e]tulant. See Petition.]1. Forward; pert; insolent; wanton. [Obs.] --Burton. 2. Capriciously fretful; characterized by ill-natured freakishness; irritable. "Petulant moods." --Macaulay. Syn: Irritable; ill-humored; peevish; cross; fretful; querulous.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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petulant
1599, "immodest, wanton, saucy," from M.Fr. petulant (1350), from L. petulantem (nom. petulans) "wanton, froward, insolent," from the root of petere "rush at, seek" (see petition). Meaning "peevish, irritable" first recorded 1775, probably by influence of pet (2).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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