PETULANCE Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

petulance

noun

ˈpe-chə-lən(t)s

Definition of petulance

as in irritability

readiness to show annoyance or impatience I do not appreciate your petulance and eagerness to argue

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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 petulance Sure, the Oscar-winning makeup helps transform the actor into Cheney, but the voice and petulance are all Bale, whose conjuring of this scoundrel ought to trigger PTSD for anyone who survived the Dubya years. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026 Warren deserves kudos for bucking the trend of petulance exhibited by too many Democrats that night. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2026 Refund claims will certainly be made and sustained in the courts, so all the president’s petulance will accomplish is to cause delay and increase the government’s obligation to pay interest due on the refunds. — Tom Campbell, Oc Register, 22 Feb. 2026 Florida has had enough of pettiness, politic stunts and petulance. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for petulance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulance

Noun

Heart attacks and strokes occur disproportionately following rejections, and rejected individuals often show symptoms that are typically associated with drug withdrawal, including anxiety, depression, crying, loss of appetite, and irritability.

— George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
By day, apnea shows up as the kind of sleepiness coffee cannot fix, morning headaches, trouble concentrating and short-fuse irritability.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritability

Noun

On the contrary, airpower remains the most potent piece of the United States’ conventional forces, as well as its main source of both deterrent capacity and warfighting advantage against conventional aggression by hostile states.

— Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Publicly sharing Hasan’s death is unlikely to deter future acts of monstrous aggression, as Hegseth claims.

— Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggression

Browse Nearby Words

petty larceny

petulance

petulant

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“Petulance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulance. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of petulance

noun

Example Sentences

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