Word.ws English Dictionary

peevish

Syllables: peev·ish/ˈpiːvɪʃ/US/ˈpivɪʃ/

peevish adjective: constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.

Adjective

peevish (comparative more peevish, superlative most peevish)

  1. Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
    • Due to the long wait, there were several peevish patients in the doctor’s waiting room.
    • [T]he nature of religion, […] showeth it consisteth […] not in a peevish crossness and obstinate repugnancy to received laws and customs, but in a quiet and peaceable submission to the express laws of God, and lawful commands of man; […]a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “Sermon I. The Pleasantness of Religion.”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume I, London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830, →OCLC, page 18
    Antonyms:
    unpeevish
  2. Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
    • I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.
    • The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Poems against Garnesche. Skelton Laureate Defendar ageinst Lusty Garnyshe Well Beseen Crystofer Chalangar, et cetera.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical...
    Antonyms:
    unpeevish
  3. (Canada, Northern England, figuratively) Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
    • Serene he bears the peeviſh eaſtern blaſt, / And uninfected breaths the mortal South.1744, John Armstrong, “Book III. Exercise.”, in The Art of Preserving Health: A Poem, […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 63, lines 30–31
  4. (obsolete) Coy, modest.
  5. (obsolete) Foolish, silly.
    • VVhy vvhat a peeuiſh Foole vvas that of Creet [i.e., Daedalus], / That taught his Sonne [Icarus] the office of a Fovvle, / And yet for all his vvings, the Foole vvas drovvn'd.c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard...
    • Confuſion take ſuch dotage, 'tis but forg'd, / This is your peeuiſh chattering vveake old man.c. 1626 or 1629–1633 (first performance), [John Ford], ’Tis Pitty Shee’s a Whore […], London: […] Nicholas Okes for Richard Collins, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act V, signature I2, verso
  6. (obsolete) Harmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.
    • [The Scots] brent ſome of the English Shippes. With the which victory, they were ſo inflamed with pride, that in deriſion of the king, they made certaine peeuiſhe and mocking rymes vvhich I paſſe ouer.1569, Richard Grafton, “The Seuenth Age, and Seuenth Part of this Chronicle. Edwarde the First.”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume I, London: […]...
    • Ile home, and ſtarue, this croſſe, this peeuiſh hap, / Strikes dead my ſpirits like a thunderclap.1600 (date written), [John Marston], Iacke Drums Entertainment: Or The Comedie of Pasquill and Katherine. […], London: […] [Thomas Creede] for Richard Oliue [i.e., Oliff], […], published 1601, →OCLC...
  7. (obsolete) Impulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.
    • [T]heſe women be all ſuche madde pieuiſhe elues / They will not be wonne except it pleaſe them ſelues.c. 1552 (date written), Nicholas Udall, [Ralph Roister Doister], [London]: [s.n.], published 1566?; republished as Edward Arber, editor, Roister Doister. […] (English Reprints), London: Muir &...
    • VVhy this it is, to be a peeuiſh Girle, / That flies her fortune vvhen it follovves her: […]c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
  8. (obsolete) Obstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.
    • But ſuche as will perſyſt ſtyll in theyr wylfulneſſe, I muſt nedes iudge not only foliſhe, froward and obstynate: but also peuiſhe, peruerſe and indurate.1540, Thomas [Cranmer], “A Prologue or Preface Made by the Most Reuerende Father in God, Thomas Archbyshop of Cantorbury, Metropolytan and Prymate of Englande”, in The Byble in Englishe, that is, The...
    • Nothing is ſo great an enemie to a ſounde iudgment, as the pride of a péeuiſh conceit, which cauſeth a man both in life and beliefe, either to ſnatch vppe or hatch newfangles.1589, T[homas] Nashe, The Anatomie of Absurditie: […], London: […] I[ohn] Charlewood for Thomas Hacket, […], →OCLC, signature E.ii., recto
  9. (obsolete) Out of one's mind; mad.
    • The dredfull dinne droue all the rowte on a rowe; / Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, / As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd...
    • And whan Peter knocked at the wicket of the gate whyche was towardes the ſtreate ſyde, a lytle mayden came foorthe ſoftely to harken what the matter was. Her name was Rhoda. Whome Peter perceyuyng to come to the doore, wylled her ſpedely to open the doore. Whan ſhe heard Peters voice, beeying halfe...1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Actes of the Apostles. The .xii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the...
  10. (obsolete) Of a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc.
    • The Lords Supper and your peeviſh, popiſh private maſſe doe agree together like God and the divell, Chriſt and Beliall, light and darkneſſe, truth and falſehood, […]1563 (date written), Thomas Bec[c]on, “[A Comparison between the Lords Supper and the Popish Masse]”, in The Displaying of the Popish Masse: […], London: […] A[nne] G[riffin] for the Company of...
  11. (Northern England, obsolete) Clever, skilful.
    • The word peeviſh among the vulgar of Scotland is uſed for niggardly, covetous; in the North of England, for vvitty, ſubtile.[1710, [Thomas Ruddiman], “[A Glossary or Alphabetical Explanation of the Hard and Difficult Words in Gavin Douglas’s Translation of Virgil’s Æneis.] Peuis.”, in Virgil, translated by Gawin Douglas...

Adverb

peevish (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of peevishly (“in a peevish manner: whiningly; irritably, petulantly; etc.”).
    • She was not halfe so wyse / As she was peuysshe nyse.c. 1517 (date written; published c. 1545), John Skelton, “Here after Foloweth the Booke Called Elynour Rummynge. The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng per Skelton Laureat.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The...
    • Be the atturney of my loue to her. / Pleade vvhat I vvill be, not vvhat I haue bene, / Not by deſertes, but vvhat I vvill deſerue, / Vrge the neceſſitie and ſtate of times, / And be not pieuiſh, fond in great deſignes.c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC...
    Synonyms:
    peevishly

peevish meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Malayalam and Kannada

peevish in Tamil

எரிச்சலூட்டுகின்ற, வெடுவெடுப்பான

peevish in Urdu

peevish, pettish
ہٹیلا haṭīlā

peevish in Malayalam

വേഗം പിണങ്ങുന്ന, കലഹപ്രിയനായ, കർക്കശമായ, മുൻകോപമുള്ള

peevish in Kannada

ಸಿಡಿಮಿಡಿಗೊಳ್ಳುವ, ರೇಗಾಡುವ, ಸಿಡುಕಿನ, ಕೆಟ್ಟನಡತೆಯ

Examples of peevish in a sentence

  • This makes his own mind untroubled, and consequently unapt to vent peevish expressions, or give passionate or inconsistent orders to those about him.1711 July 13 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “MONDAY, July 3, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 107; republished in Alexander...
  • [T]he luckless Kitty continued in the parlour repining at her fate in terms as unreasonable as her accent was peevish.1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XVIII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton...
  • There is E——, […] querulous and dictatorial, and with a peevish whine in his voice like a beaten school-boy.1822, William Hazlitt, “Essay IV. On Coffee-house Politicians.”, in Table-Talk; or, Original Essays, volume II, London: […] [Thomas...
  • Our tragedian was a rough joker off the stage; our prime clown the most peevish mortal living.1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Buckthorne, or The Young Man of Great Expectations”, in Tales of a Traveller, part 2...

Synonyms of peevish

30 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

2 more antonymsFewer antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of peevish

Forms of peevish

comparativemore peevish
superlativemost peevish
alternative formpevish
alternative formpievish

Origin of peevish

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English pievish, peuysche, pevish, pevysh (“capricious, wilful; perverse, wayward”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From an unattested Old French word, from Latin perversus (“corrupted, perverted, subverted; overthrown”), the perfect passive participle of pervertō (“to corrupt, subvert; to overthrow”), from per- (prefix meaning ‘intensively, thoroughly’) + vertō (“to turn; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, subvert”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate; to turn”)). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says this derivation “presents some formal difficulties”. * From Middle French *expaive + -ish (similar to; somewhat, rather). *Expaive is an unattested variant of Middle French espave, Old French espave (“(adjective) of an animal: stray; of a person: foreign; (noun) flotsam; lost property”) (referring to the behaviour of stray animals; modern French épave), from Latin expavidus (“extremely frightened or horrified”), from ex- (intensifying prefix) + pavidus (“fearful, terrified; quaking, trembling; shy, timid”) (from paveō (“to be afraid; fear; to quake or tremble with fear”)...

Words formed from peevish

Questions about peevish

What does peevish mean?
Peevish means constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
What is peevish in Tamil?
Peevish in Tamil is எரிச்சலூட்டுகின்ற, வெடுவெடுப்பான. See Peevish meaning in Tamil.
How do you use peevish in a sentence?
This makes his own mind untroubled, and consequently unapt to vent peevish expressions, or give passionate or inconsistent orders to those about him.
What part of speech is peevish?
Peevish can be an adjective or an adverb.
How do you pronounce peevish?
Peevish is pronounced /ˈpiːvɪʃ/ (UK).

Words near peevish in the dictionary

  1. peevers
  2. peeververein
  3. peevery
  4. peeves
  5. peeving
  6. peevish
  7. peevishly
  8. peevishness
  9. peevishnesses
  10. peevit
  11. peevits

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: peevish (page history and authors); peevish (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); ہٹیلا (Urdu) (page history and authors); peevish (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); peevish (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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