Synonyms for peevishness
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Petulance
petulance, fretfulness, temper, chagrin, irritability, sourness, crossness, fussiness, choler, surliness, biliousness, pettishness, snappishness
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The state of being peevish.
Forms
- Plural
- peevishnesses → petulances, fretfulnesses, tempers, chagrins…
Choose the right word
Impatience, fretfulness, irritation, peevishness, pettishness, petulance, and vexation express the slighter forms of anger. Fretfulness, pettishness, and peevishness are chronic states finding in any petty matter an occasion for their exercise.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- temper There's no need to get so angry. Keep your temper.
- chagrin He often hastens physical intimacy, much to the chagrin of his dates.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| peevishness | rising | |
| temper | rising | |
| chagrin | rising | |
| petulance | rising | |
| fretfulness | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- temper2, choler
- 7 letters
- chagrin2
- 8 letters
- sourness
- 9 letters
- petulance3, fussiness, crossness, surliness
- 11 letters
- fretfulness, biliousness, pettishness
- 12 letters
- irritability6, snappishness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (temper2 = 2 syllables).