peevish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Titus hands power to Saturninus, the eldest son of the late Roman emperor, played with a comic spin as a peevish dilettante by Matthew Amendt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“He looks startled,” Reed said of the president’s peevish performance.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

Like the peevish alien Roger from American Dad, Sam’s general attitude toward the human world in which he finds himself is equal parts incomprehension and condescension.

From Slate • Oct. 5, 2023

Or one could fault the unspoken villain cut edited over years of coverage that makes Charles seem either silly or peevish or . . . standing there.

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2022

My mother-in-law, who was a former teacher, regarded me with some surprise and then said in a rather peevish way, “No, Zindzi cannot come and see you because she is not yet sixteen.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela