piqued 1 of 2

adjective

as in infuriated

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piqued

2 of 2

verb

past tense of pique
1
as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in provoked
to rouse to strong feeling or action their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind

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3
as in prided
to think highly of (oneself) she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities

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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 piqued
Verb
European interest in the island was piqued by its location along prime commercial shipping routes. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026 My journalistic interest in the world’s favorite dessert was first piqued on a gloomy December day in 2009, when a friend and I toured a chocolate factory. — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026 On it was the poster of the black thingummy that had piqued Jenny’s interest. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 The characters in particular are more grounded, which immediately piqued Root’s interest. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026 Randau’s initial curiosity in Kersten was piqued by a meeting some five years ago with French producers over a potential collaboration on a TV series devoted to the exploits of the massage-therapist. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 Vera had been visiting him on the street downtown the day before, which had piqued the curiosity of the other two men, and so Green Bandana had brought them by. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 31 July 2026 The first was the 2008 bomb threat hoax, which piqued investigators’ suspicions but resulted in no charges against Perales. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 July 2026 But, as a C E Ferulic loyalist at my core, my interest was piqued. — Kara McGrath, Allure, 20 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piqued
  1. outraged
  2. annoyed
  3. provoked
  4. prided
  5. angry
  6. bothered
  7. encouraged
  8. congratulated
Adjective
  • Myers was outraged, believing that his initial comment that spurred police involvement was constitutionally protected free speech.
    — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • When Lands’ End featured an interview with Steinem in its 2016 catalog, outraged readers threatened a boycott.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of outraged
Verb
  • Not even Jeff being annoyed at Kasandra’s drunkenness can ruin the mood.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
  • That was Gardner’s first game with the Colts after being acquired from the New York Jets, and while Indy pulled out the OT victory, Gardner was still annoyed by some of the social media chatter afterward.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of annoyed
Verb
  • The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The incidents had provoked international scrutiny of the country’s assault on Gaza.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of provoked
Verb
  • West Ham have always prided themselves on being the ‘Academy of Football’, and this was that nickname turning into reality.
    — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Parton's philanthropic ventures Parton prided herself on her philanthropic endeavors throughout her life.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of prided
Adjective
  • Much of the work is also focused on building guardrails to protect clients from lawsuits — coming from business partners, local officials, or angry neighbors — in an industry that has an increasingly visible target on its back.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Though nothing about the current situation is ideal, there’s no clear way to hop off without ensuring certain doom at the hands of a large, angry cat.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of angry
Verb
  • But Covid-19 layoffs aside, the San Francisco company hasn’t bothered to tidy up along the way, its chief executive says.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Never even bothered to deny any of the accusations that would eventually lead to Wednesday’s stunning NBA ruling against the LA Clippers in this landmark salary cap circumvention case.
    — Sam Amick, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • More than a decade ago, the two researchers were introduced by their mutual boss, the chancellor at UCSF, who encouraged them to collaborate.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • As Brown ramped back up this summer, he and the team were encouraged by his progress.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • Woods on Sunday congratulated PGA Tour golfer Scottie Scheffler, who won the Tour Championship, claiming a second FedEx Cup title and surpassing Woods for the most PGA Tour career earnings.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Beckham told reporters that Harbaugh put his arm around him and congratulated him on making the team following a solid final preseason game against the New York Jets.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of congratulated

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Cite this Entry

“Piqued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piqued. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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