peevish
/ˈpiːvɪʃ
/adjective
Having or showing an irritable disposition: a thin peevish voice...
- It featured a peevish hipster, complaining about how his grasp of cool was slipping.
- Boswell, peevish after spending a night in a haybarn, complained of the lack of marble monuments.
- His posture was impatient, peevish and annoyed that he had to answer to anyone.
Derivatives
peevishly
/ adverb ...- ‘You never should have opened your mouth,’ warned the judge peevishly.
- He told me so, peevishly, when I interviewed him.
- ‘This country needs engineers,’ she muttered peevishly.
peevishness
/ noun ...- It sort of simmers and bubbles and from time to time erupts into a lava-like spasm of vexation, pique and peevishness.
- One cringes at his bitterness, peevishness, and narcissism, but one also respects him for the fact that he cringes, too.
- I admit my peevishness may be an overreaction but I'd be interested to know what other people think about this.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'perverse, coy'): of unknown origin.