Synonyms of peevish
120 similar words · 12 opposite words
Another word for peevish is petulant. Other synonyms of peevish are cantankerous, irascible, tetchy, querulous and fretful. The opposite of peevish is unpeevish.
Synonyms and similar words for peevish
adjectiveQuick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish...
- querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
- atrabilious
- bad-temperedOf or pertaining to bad temper; showing anger easily or customarily.
- biliousPeevishly ill-humored, irritable or bad tempered; irascible.
- bitchy informal, vulgar
- brainish
- cantankerousGiven to or marked by an ill-tempered, quarrelsome nature; ill-tempered, cranky, crabby.
- carnaptious Ireland, UKBad-tempered, quarrelsome, snappy.
- cholericOf a person: having a tendency to become angry easily; bad-tempered, irritable; also, feeling or showing anger; angry...
- crabbit ScotlandGrouchy, cantankerous.
- crabby
- cranky
- crotchetyCranky, disagreeable, or stubborn, especially if prone to odd whims or fancies.
- dyspeptic
- fantoddishIrritable.
- fiery
- fractious
- fretfulIrritable; bad-tempered; grumpy; peevish.
- grumpyDissatisfied and irritable.
- grotchy slangTending to complain; irritable.
- grouchyIrritable; easily upset; angry; tending to complain.
- hissy
- hot-temperedBecoming very vocal or even violent when angered or frustrated.
- hotheadedPertaining to or characteristic of a hothead or hotheadedness; (of a person) easily excited or angered.
- huffy
- humpy
- ill-natured
- ill-temperedSynonym of bad-tempered.
- irascibleEasily provoked to outbursts of anger; irritable.
- irritable
- liverishNot feeling well due to an upset digestive system; queasy.
- out of sorts
- ornery (chiefly US)}
- pettishBad-tempered; peevish.
- petulantChildishly irritable.
- prickly
- quick-temperedEasily or quickly angered or frustrated.
- raspy
- ratty informalAnnoyed, bad-tempered, irritable.
- short-temperedEasily angered; frequently losing one's temper.
- snappish
- snappyIrritable.
- snippety
- snippishSnippy; irritable; short-tempered.
- snippy
- snitchy
- spleneticBad-tempered, irritable, peevish, spiteful, habitually angry.
- stressy
- surly
- temperamental
- testy
- tetchySynonym of touchy: easily annoyed or irritated, peevish, testy, irascible; also (figurative) extremely sensitive...
- thin-skinned
- thorny
- touchy
- twitchy figuratively
- umbrageous figuratively
- volatile
- waspish
- edgy dated
- hot-livered archaicOf an irritable temperament; irascible; easily angered.
- tetty obsoleteA diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.
adjectiveHarmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.
- harmfulCausing or likely to cause harm or damage; injurious.
- damagingCausing damage; harmful, injurious.
- deleterious
- detrimentalCausing damage or harm.
- hurtful
- inimical
- injurious
- mischievous
- nocent
- nocuousLikely to cause harm or damage.
- noxiousHarmful; injurious.
- noisome
- prejudicial
- scathandHarmful; scathing.
- scathel
- sullen obsoleteObstinate; intractable.
- venom obsoletePoisonous, poisoned; (figuratively) pernicious.
adjectiveObstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.
- adamant
- ardent
- grim
- untiring
- bent onCompletely determined; obstinate.
- bloody-mindedObstinate; stubborn.
- bullheadedUnreasonably stubborn.
- certain
- chronic
- confirmed
- determinedDecided; resolute, possessing much determination; dogged.
- diehard
- doggedStubbornly persevering, steadfast.
- hard-hearted
- hard-nosed
- hardheadedStubborn; wilful.
- headstrongDetermined to do as one pleases, and not as others want.
- immovableSteadfast in purpose or intention: unalterable, unyielding.
- incalcitrantRecalcitrant.
- inflexible
- insistent
- intractable
- intransigentUnwilling to compromise or moderate a position; unreasonable; stubborn.
- intrepidFearless; bold; brave.
- inveterate
- mulishCharacteristic of a mule; stubborn, obstinate, or intractable.
- obdurate
- obstinate
- obstreperousStubbornly defiant; disobedient; resistant to authority or control (whether in a noisy manner or not).
- peremptory
- persistent
- pertinacious
- pigheadedObstinate and stubborn to the point of stupidity.
- recalcitrant
- refractoryObstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
- resolute
- resolvedDetermined; fixed in one's purpose.
- rigidUncompromising.
- self-willed
- stalwart
- staunchStubborn, intransigent.
Opposite of peevish
adjectiveConstantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
- unpeevishNot peevish.
adjectiveMore antonyms
- expressionlessWithout expression.
- happy
- calm
- impassive
- patient
- phlegmatic
- stoic
- stoicalEnduring pain and hardship without showing feeling or complaint.
- tolerant
- uncomplainingWithout complaint; patient and tolerant.
- unflappableRemaining composed and level-headed at all times; impossible to fluster; not becoming frustrated or irritated easily.
Meaning of peevish
- adjective Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
- adjective Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
- adjective Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
peevish in other languages
Questions about synonyms of peevish
- What is another word for peevish?
- Peevish has 120 synonyms on Word.ws, such as petulant, cantankerous, irascible, tetchy, querulous, fretful, splenetic and bad-tempered.
- What is the opposite of peevish?
- The opposite of peevish is unpeevish. Other antonyms of peevish are happy, expressionless and unflappable.
- What does peevish mean?
- Peevish means constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: peevish (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of peevish.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/peevish. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.