Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The quality of being peevish; perverseness; forwardness; petulancy; fretfulness; waywardness; capriciousness.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality of being peevish; disposition to murmur; sourness of temper.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The state of being
peevish .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an irritable petulant feeling
- noun a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Note, We are apt to call reproofs reproaches, and to think ourselves mocked when we are but advised and admonished; this peevishness is our folly, and a great wrong to ourselves and to our friends.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721
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Her peevishness was a ruse she employed to convince herself that she didn't like feeling his solid presence along her back, touching from shoulders to toes, nor the warm, damp gusts of his breath against her nape.
The Thrill of Victory Brown, Sandra, 1948- 1989
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The cause of her peevishness was a swarm of intensely active flies.
Anderson Crow, Detective George Barr McCutcheon 1897
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There's a restlessness, a kind of peevishness, that bothers me.
Jack Cashill's strange notion that Bill Ayers wrote "Dreams From My Father." Ann Althouse 2008
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That which St. Austin said of himself here in this place, I may truly say to thee, thou discontented wretch, thou covetous niggard, thou churl, thou ambitious and swelling toad, 'tis not want but peevishness which is the cause of thy woes; settle thine affection, thou hast enough.
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A kind of peevishness, to which she had formerly been a stranger, was but too ready to appear, even when she was most anxious, in her converse with Harry, to behave well to him.
David Elginbrod George MacDonald 1864
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What was the nature of Stirner’s attack other than sheer peevishness, which is often quite enough, isn’t it?
Archive 2007-04-01 James Killus 2007
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What was the nature of Stirner’s attack other than sheer peevishness, which is often quite enough, isn’t it?
Max Headroom James Killus 2007
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Not to be outdone in peevishness, the Emperor said the nightingale couldn't take off because he'd been banished from court forever.
Michael Giltz: Theater: Not So "Good People," Fine "Timon," Lovely "Nightingale" and No KO for "Beautiful Burnout" Michael Giltz 2011
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Not to be outdone in peevishness, the Emperor said the nightingale couldn't take off because he'd been banished from court forever.
Michael Giltz: Theater: Not So "Good People," Fine "Timon," Lovely "Nightingale" and No KO for "Beautiful Burnout" Michael Giltz 2011
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