Synonyms of petulant
90 similar words · 1 opposite word
Another word for petulant is cantankerous. Other synonyms of petulant are irascible, fretful, splenetic, hissy and peevish. The opposite of petulant is easygoing.
Synonyms and similar words for petulant
adjectiveChildishly irritable.
- bad-temperedOf or pertaining to bad temper; showing anger easily or customarily.
- crabby
- grouchyIrritable; easily upset; angry; tending to complain.
- huffy
- atrabilious
- bilious
- 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.
- 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.
- hissyChildish or petulant.
- 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.
- 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)}
- peevishQuick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
- pettishBad-tempered; peevish.
- prickly
- quick-temperedEasily or quickly angered or frustrated.
- querulousOften complaining; suggesting a complaint in expression; fretful, whining.
- raspy
- ratty informalAnnoyed, bad-tempered, irritable.
- short-temperedEasily angered; frequently losing one's temper.
- snappish
- snappy
- 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.
adjectiveForward; pert; insolent; wanton.
- brazen
- flippant
- impertinent
- audacious
- bold
- get wise
- bold-faced
- bold as brassVery bold; very forward or impudent.
- brassy
- malapert literaryCheeky, impudent, saucy.
- brazen-facedImpudent; open and without shame.
- cheeky
- chutzpadikShowing chutzpah; not showing due respect; impudent; impertinent; brazen.
- cute
- faceyA surname.
- familiar
- flip
- forward
- fresh
- impiousLacking reverence or respect, especially towards a god.
- impudentNot showing due respect; bold-faced, impertinent.
- insolentInsulting in manner or words, particularly in an arrogant or insubordinate manner.
- irreverentLacking respect; not having or not showing respect for or seriousness towards something that is usually treated with...
- sassy US
- saucyImpertinent or disrespectful, often in a manner that is regarded as entertaining or amusing; smart.
- cocket obsoletePert; saucy.
- dicacious rareTalkative; pert; saucy.
- pert rareEspecially of children or social inferiors: cheeky, impertinent.
Opposite of petulant
adjectiveChildishly irritable.
Meaning of petulant
- adjective Childishly irritable.
- adjective Forward; pert; insolent; wanton.
petulant in other languages
Questions about synonyms of petulant
- What is another word for petulant?
- Petulant has 90 synonyms on Word.ws, such as cantankerous, irascible, fretful, splenetic, hissy, peevish, bad-tempered and hot-tempered.
- What is the opposite of petulant?
- The opposite of petulant is easygoing.
- What does petulant mean?
- Petulant means childishly irritable.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: petulant (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 petulant.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/petulant. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.