piquing 1 of 2

adjective

as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction piquing remarks that were said mainly to get a rise out of the other guests at the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piquing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pique
1
as in bothering
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 provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in priding
to think highly of (oneself) she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 piquing
Verb
At the time in the 1960s, Clairol had been keeping quiet about the development, piquing the interest of residents in the area. — Katherine Chircus, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2026 There are an impressive number of interactions, and the game revels in piquing your curiosity. — ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 Last but certainly not least, In the City is piquing interest as well. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 July 2026 In the meantime, Mars in Gemini makes an alignment with Jupiter in Leo, increasing our self-confidence and piquing our curiosities. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 In the meantime, a few more reports and photos of the unusual bird came in from San Clemente and Dana Point the next day, piquing interest even more. — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 28 May 2026 Bardet credits this research for piquing his interest in this subject. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026 What that’s code for — and what’s piquing Andrew’s caretaker tendencies along with his pheromones — is a certain kind of big-eyed helplessness. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026 Iconix Brands Group pioneered the approach in the prior decade, piquing the interest of Salter, who iterated on the concept. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquing
  1. provocative
  2. bothering
  3. provoking
  4. priding
  5. charged
  6. bugging
  7. encouraging
  8. congratulating
Adjective
  • In the meantime, MapQuest has been active on X, posting provocative tweets to capitalize on the controversy.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The film revisits one of the most provocative and scrutinized franchises in the history of TV news.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of provocative
Verb
  • Some interns hesitate to contact their former colleagues for fear of bothering them, but most people are eager to help out young talent.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Contreras rarely takes days off but asked for a day off Sunday with his leg bothering him.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • This year's Ig Nobel Prizes — which are awarded for humorous, yet thought-provoking research — have been announced, but not on their home turf.
    — Ari Daniel, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But not all of Mustard Service’s songs are meant to be so thought-provoking.
    — Charles Moss, SPIN, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of provoking
Verb
  • The property offers a variety of programs and activities for children and families, priding itself on being a multigenerational spot to return to again and again.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
  • Suitcases rarely push the $400 mark while priding themselves on chicness and durability; accessories like toiletry bags, too, come in at under $40 and yet retain an aspirational look worthy of your aesthetic at large.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Definition of priding
Adjective
  • The result is an urgent, propulsive song with a raw spirit and some of Pop’s most super-charged writing with deceptively simple lyrics about love and war, dripping with desperation.
    — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.
    — Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Definition of charged
Verb
  • However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • When the east Texas oilfield was discovered in the interwar years, gasoline prices fell sharply, incentivizing bigger engines and vehicles, while encouraging longer journeys.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • By taking stem cells from a host’s own body and encouraging them to differentiate before mixing them with a commercially available, soluble matrix gel, researchers may have cracked the most critical problems in the transplant process.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • Notably, in a tweet congratulating Jensen on the deal, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora echoed the importance of balancing open source and open weights with frontier LLMs.
    — , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Melvin and Dreyer took turns congratulating and embracing Ikeda shortly after the news broke.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of congratulating

Browse Nearby Words

piques
piquing
piracy
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Cite this Entry

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

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