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peevish

adj
/ˈpiːvɪʃ/UK/ˈpivɪʃ/US

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English pievish, peuysche, pevish, pevysh (“capricious, wilful; perverse, wayward”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From an unattested Old French word, from Latin perversus (“corrupted, perverted, subverted; overthrown”), the perfect passive participle of pervertō (“to corrupt, subvert; to overthrow”), from per- (prefix meaning ‘intensively, thoroughly’) + vertō (“to turn; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, subvert”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate; to turn”)). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says this derivation “presents some formal difficulties”. * From Middle French *expaive + -ish (similar to; somewhat, rather). *Expaive is an unattested variant of Middle French espave, Old French espave (“(adjective) of an animal: stray; of a person: foreign; (noun) flotsam; lost property”) (referring to the behaviour of stray animals; modern French épave), from Latin expavidus (“extremely frightened or horrified”), from ex- (intensifying prefix) + pavidus (“fearful, terrified; quaking, trembling; shy, timid”) (from paveō (“to be afraid; fear; to quake or tremble with fear”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *paw- (“to hit, strike”)) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’ forming adjectives)). The adverb is derived from the adjective.

  1. derived from expavidus — “extremely frightened or horrified”
  2. derived from espave — “(adjective) of an animal: stray; of a person: foreign; (noun) flotsam; lost property”
  3. derived from espave
  4. derived from *expaive✻
  5. derived from *wert-✻ — “to rotate; to turn”
  6. derived from perversus — “corrupted, perverted, subverted; overthrown”
  7. inherited from pievish

Definitions

  1. Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters

    Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.

    • Due to the long wait, there were several peevish patients in the doctor’s waiting room.
    • [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; […]
    • This makes his own mind untroubled, and consequently unapt to vent peevish expressions, or give passionate or inconsistent orders to those about him.

  2. Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters

    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.
    • The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]
    • 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?

  3. Of weather

    Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.

    • Serene he bears the peeviſh eaſtern blaſt, / And uninfected breaths the mortal South.
  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. Coy, modest.

    2. Foolish, silly.

      • VVhy vvhat a peeuiſh Foole vvas that of Creet [i.e., Daedalus], / That taught his Sonne [Icarus] the office of a Fovvle, / And yet for all his vvings, the Foole vvas drovvn'd.
      • Confuſion take ſuch dotage, 'tis but forg'd, / This is your peeuiſh chattering vveake old man.

    3. Harmful, injurious

      Harmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.

      • [The Scots] brent ſome of the English Shippes. With the which victory, they were ſo inflamed with pride, that in deriſion of the king, they made certaine peeuiſhe and mocking rymes vvhich I paſſe ouer.
      • Ile home, and ſtarue, this croſſe, this peeuiſh hap, / Strikes dead my ſpirits like a thunderclap.

    4. Impulsive and unpredictable

      Impulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.

      • [T]heſe women be all ſuche madde pieuiſhe elues / They will not be wonne except it pleaſe them ſelues.
      • VVhy this it is, to be a peeuiſh Girle, / That flies her fortune vvhen it follovves her: […]

    5. Obstinately in the wrong

      Obstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.

      • But ſuche as will perſyſt ſtyll in theyr wylfulneſſe, I muſt nedes iudge not only foliſhe, froward and obstynate: but also peuiſhe, peruerſe and indurate.
      • Nothing is ſo great an enemie to a ſounde iudgment, as the pride of a péeuiſh conceit, which cauſeth a man both in life and beliefe, either to ſnatch vppe or hatch newfangles.
      • 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

      Out of one's mind; mad.

      • The dredfull dinne droue all the rowte on a rowe; / Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, / As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.
      • There vvas neuer any ſo peeuiſh to imagin the Moone eyther capable of affection, or ſhape of a Miſtris: […]

    7. Of a thing

      Of a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc.

      • The Lords Supper and your peeviſh, popiſh private maſſe doe agree together like God and the divell, Chriſt and Beliall, light and darkneſſe, truth and falſehood, […]

    8. Clever, skilful.

      • The word peeviſh among the vulgar of Scotland is uſed for niggardly, covetous; in the North of England, for vvitty, ſubtile.

    9. Synonym of peevishly (“in a peevish manner

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

      • She was not halfe so wyse / As she was peuysshe nyse.
      • Be the atturney of my loue to her. / Pleade vvhat I vvill be, not vvhat I haue bene, / Not by deſertes, but vvhat I vvill deſerue, / Vrge the neceſſitie and ſtate of times, / And be not pieuiſh, fond in great deſignes.

The neighborhood

Derived

impeevish, impeevished, peeve, peevishly, peevishness, unpeevish

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for peevish. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA