pettish

adjective

ˈpe-tish How to pronounce pettish (audio)
Definition of pettishnext
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed a pettish baby who always seemed to be crying

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pettish At best, Harsin is a pettish version of Michael Scott at Dunder Mifflin, a poor manager of people selling reams of paper out of an office building at the dawn of our digital age. — Joseph Goodman | [email protected], al, 9 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettish
  1. irritable
  2. fiery
Adjective
  • The product immediately calmed down my irritable, rosacea-prone skin while delivering intense hydration that lasted all day.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026
  • How skipping breakfast affects kids at school Nemours KidsHealth reports that kids who miss the morning meal often feel tired, restless or irritable by midmorning.
    — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Jeffries, a cautious Brooklynite poised to become speaker, must juggle fiery progressives, restive moderates and backlash over a Jared Kushner meeting while preaching Pelosi-style discipline and teamwork.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Clippers released a fiery statement slamming the findings, though the team has little recourse to appeal.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fiery

Browse Nearby Words

petting
pettish
pettishness
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Cite this Entry

“Pettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettish. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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