Synonyms for peevish
- adjective
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Querulous — quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant
querulous, petulant, irritable, testy, ill-tempered, fretful, cranky, tetchy UK US IE, ill-natured, surly, fractious, bad-tempered, grumpy, grouchy, cantankerous, irascible, crabby, churlish, ornery, short-tempered, crotchety, bilious
Definitions
- adj. 1
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.
Related words
- Word family
- peeve peevishly peevishness
- Is a kind of
- discontented resentful sad unhappy unsatisfied
Choose the right word
Peevish marks more especially the inward spirit: a peevish man is always ready to find fault.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Example sentences
- irritable Tom is usually a little irritable in the morning.
- petulant Her petulant humor upset the attendees.
- testy He gets really testy when he doesn't get his way.
- querulous The storekeeper, Tom Jackson, is a querulous man.
- grumbling Stop your grumbling and get the work out of the way.
By length
- 5 letters
- surly2, testy2
- 6 letters
- grumpy2, cranky2, sullen2, crabby2, ornery3, tetchy
- 7 letters
- grouchy2, fretful2, bilious3
- 8 letters
- petulant3, picayune3, churlish2
- 9 letters
- irritable4, grumbling3, fractious2, irascible4, crotchety3, querulous3
- 12 letters
- cantankerous4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (surly2 = 2 syllables).