Wiktionary

peevish

English

WOTD – 14 December 2024

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English pievish, peuysche, pevish, pevysh (“capricious, wilful; perverse, wayward”);[1] further etymology uncertain, possibly from one of the following:

The adverb is derived from the adjective.[2]

Pronunciation

Adjective

peevish (comparative more peevish, superlative most peevish)

  1. Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whining.
    Antonym: unpeevish
    Due to the long wait, there were several peevish patients in the doctor’s waiting room.
    • a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “Sermon I. The Pleasantness of Religion.”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume I, London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830, →OCLC, page 18:
      [T]he nature of religion, […] showeth it consisteth […] not in a peevish crossness and obstinate repugnancy to received laws and customs, but in a quiet and peaceable submission to the express laws of God, and lawful commands of man; […]
    • 1711 July 14 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “TUESDAY, July 3, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 107; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 78:
      This makes his own mind untroubled, and consequently unapt to vent peevish expressions, or give passionate or inconsistent orders to those about him.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XVIII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 214:
      [T]he luckless Kitty continued in the parlour repining at her fate in terms as unreasonable as her accent was peevish.
    • 1822, William Hazlitt, “Essay IV. On Coffee-house Politicians.”, in Table-Talk; or, Original Essays, volume II, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Henry Colburn and Co., →OCLC, pages 73–74:
      There is E——, […] querulous and dictatorial, and with a peevish whine in his voice like a beaten school-boy.
    • 1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Buckthorne, or The Young Man of Great Expectations”, in Tales of a Traveller, part 2 (Buckthorne and His Friends), Philadelphia, Pa.: H[enry] C[harles] Carey & I[saac] Lea, […], →OCLC, page 107:
      Our tragedian was a rough joker off the stage; our prime clown the most peevish mortal living. The latter used to go about snapping and snarling, with a broad laugh painted on his countenance; […] there is no more melancholy creature in existence than a mountebank off duty.
  2. Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: querulous; see also Thesaurus:irritable, Thesaurus:peevish
    Antonym: unpeevish
    I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.
    • a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Poems against Garnesche. Skelton Laureate Defendar ageinst Lusty Garnyshe Well Beseen Crystofer Chalangar, et cetera.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 130, lines 145–147:
      The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]
      The foullest sloven under heaven, / Proud, peevish, lither, and lewd, / Malapert, meddler, nothing well thewed, […]
    • c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature A3, recto:
      VVhy ſhould a man vvhoſe blood is vvarme vvithin, / Sit like his Grandſire, cut in Alabaſter? / Sleepe vvhen he vvakes? and creepe into the Iaundies / By beeing peeuiſh?
    • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii], page 82, column 2:
      VVhat a vvretched and peeuiſh fellow is this King of England, to mope vvith his fat-brain'd follovvers ſo farre out of his knovvledge.
    • 1650, Thomas Fuller, “ The Wilderness of Paran”, in A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament Acted thereon, London: […] J. F. for John Williams […], →OCLC, book II, paragraph 44, page 57:
      Gods providence on purpoſe permitted Moſes to fall into this peeviſh paſſion, to manifeſt the vaſt difference betvveen humane and Divine meekneſs.
    • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “[XXVIII Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Summer Half-year, […].] Sermon XIV. Of Growth in Grace.”, in ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1654, →OCLC, page 181:
      Some men faſt to mortifie their luſt, and their faſting makes them peeviſh: […]
    • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 118:
      Since you are ready to take up reports, and to judge ſo raſhly as you do; I cannot but conclude you are ſome peeviſh, or melancholy Man, not fit to be diſcourſed vvith; and ſo adieu.
    • 1915 November, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “The Mixer: I. He Meets a Shy Gentleman.”, in The Man with Two Left Feet and Other Stories, London: Methuen & Co. […], published 1922, →OCLC, page 67:
      At first he was quite peevish. "What's the idea," he said, "coming and spoiling a man's beauty-sleep? Get out."
    • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →ISBN, page 487:
      They used to tell one about a kid asking his grumpy old man when they were walking to the park, 'What's the name of this flower, Papa?' And the old guy is peevish and he yells, 'How should I know? Am I in the millinery business?'
  3. (Canada, Northern England, figurative) Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
    • 1744, John Armstrong, The art of preserving health: A poem, book I, v. 285 ff:
      […] the ridge […] / […] defends you from the blust'ring north, / And bleak affliction of the peevish east.
    • 1927, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Emily's Quest, page 174:
      Something has happened to sour February's temper. Such a peevish month.
  4. (obsolete)
    1. Coy, modest.
    2. Foolish, silly. [16th–17th c.]
    3. Harmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful. [16th–17th c.]
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:harmful
      • 1569, chapter 2, in A chronicle at large and meere history of the affayres of Englande and kinges of the same, 1st edition, Richard Grafton, page 176:
        In derision of the king, they made certaine peeuishe and mocking rymes which I passe ouer.
      • 1601, John Marston et al., Iacke Drums entertainment, ch. II, sig. D2v:
        This crosse, this peeuish hap, / Strikes dead my spirits like a thunderclap.
    4. Impulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.
    5. Obstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn. [15th–17th c.]
      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:obstinate
      • 1539, Coverdale Bible (Cranmer Preface):
        Not onely foolyshe frowarde and obstinate but also peuysshe, peruerse and indurate.
      • 1650, Thomas Fuller, “[The Generall Description of Judea] The Wilderness of Paran”, in A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament Acted thereon, London: […] J. F. for John Williams […], →OCLC, book I, paragraph 3, page 44:
        But, the main end for vvhich this deſert may ſeem ordained, vvas, that therein God and the Iſraelites might for forty years mutually prove one another. And upon triall, they appeared a peeviſh, frovvard, ſtubborn people.
    6. Out of one's mind; mad. [16th c.]
      • 1523, John Skelton, A goodly garlande or chapelet of laurell, page 266:
        Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.
    7. Of a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc. [16th c.]
      • 1563, Thomas Becon, The displaying of the Popish masse (new edition, 1637), p. 299:
        The Lords Supper and your peevish, popish private masse doe agree together..as the common proverbe is, like harpe and harrow, or like the hare and the hound.
    8. (Northern England) Clever, skilful. [17th–18th c.]

Usage notes

In early uses, it is often difficult to determine which sense of the word is intended.[2]

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

peevish (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of peevishly (“in a peevish manner: whiningly; irritably, petulantly; etc.”)

References

  1. ^ “peivish, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 “peevish, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2024; “peevish, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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