Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Peevish
Pee′vish
,Adj.
[OE.
pevische
; of uncertain origin, perh. from a word imitative of the noise made by fretful children + -ish
.] 1.
Habitually fretful; easily vexed or fretted; hard to please; apt to complain; querulous; petulant.
“Her peevish babe.” Wordsworth.
She is
peevish
, sullen, froward. Shakespeare
2.
Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction;
as, a
. peevish
answer3.
Silly; childish; trifling.
[Obs.]
To send such
peevish
tokens to a king. Shakespeare
Syn. – Querulous; petulant; cross; ill-tempered; testy; captious; discontented. See
Fretful
. Webster 1828 Edition
Peevish
PEE'VISH
, a.1.
Fretful; petulant; apt to mutter and complain; easily vexed or fretted; querulous; hard to please. She is peevish, sullen, froward.
2.
Expressing discontent and fretfulness. I will not presume
To send such peevish tokens to a king.
3.
Silly; childish.Definition 2024
peevish
peevish
English
Alternative forms
- pevish, pievish (obsolete)
Adjective
peevish (comparative more peevish, superlative most peevish)
- Constantly complaining; fretful, whining.
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, King Henry V, act 3, scene 7:
- Orleans: What a wretched and peevish fellow is this king of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge!
- 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, ch. 41:
- [T]he luckless Kitty continued in the parlour repining at her fate in terms as unreasonable as her accent was peevish.
- 1917, P. G. Wodehouse, "The Mixer" in The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories:
- At first he was quite peevish. "What's the idea," he said, "coming and spoiling a man's beauty-sleep? Get out."
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, King Henry V, act 3, scene 7:
Derived terms
Translations
constantly complaining