peevish
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: The adjective is derived from Late Middle English pievish, peuysche, pevish, pevysh (“capricious, wilful; perverse, wayward”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from one of the following:
* From an unattested Old French word, from Latin perversus (“corrupted, perverted, subverted; overthrown”), the perfect passive participle of pervertō (“to corrupt, subvert; to overthrow”), from per- (prefix meaning ‘intensively, thoroughly’) + vertō (“to turn; to turn upside down, overturn, overthrow, subvert”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate; to turn”)). However, the Oxford English Dictionary says this derivation “presents some formal difficulties”.
* From Middle French *expaive + -ish (similar to; somewhat, rather). *Expaive is an unattested variant of Middle French espave, Old French espave (“(adjective) of an animal: stray; of a person: foreign; (noun) flotsam; lost property”) (referring to the behaviour of stray animals; modern French épave), from Latin expavidus (“extremely frightened or horrified”), from ex- (intensifying prefix) + pavidus (“fearful, terrified; quaking, trembling; shy, timid”) (from paveō (“to be afraid; fear; to quake or tremble with fear”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *paw- (“to hit, strike”)) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’ forming adjectives)).
The adverb is derived from the adjective.
Affixes: -ish
Inflected forms:
form: more peevish
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most peevish
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: pevish
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: pievish
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
pos: adj
examples: Due to the long wait, there were several peevish patients in the doctor’s waiting room.
[T]he nature of religion, […] showeth it consisteth […] not in a peevish crossness and obstinate repugnancy to received laws and customs, but in a quiet and peaceable submission to the express laws of God, and lawful commands of man; […]
This makes his own mind untroubled, and consequently unapt to vent peevish expressions, or give passionate or inconsistent orders to those about him.
[T]he luckless Kitty continued in the parlour repining at her fate in terms as unreasonable as her accent was peevish.
There is E——, […] querulous and dictatorial, and with a peevish whine in his voice like a beaten school-boy.
Our tragedian was a rough joker off the stage; our prime clown the most peevish mortal living. The latter used to go about snapping and snarling, with a broad laugh painted on his countenance; […] there is no more melancholy creature in existence than a mountebank off duty.
gloss: Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
pos: adj
examples: I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.
The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]
VVhy ſhould a man vvhoſe blood is vvarme vvithin, / Sit like his Grandſire, cut in Alabaſter? / Sleepe vvhen he vvakes? and creepe into the Iaundies / By beeing peeuiſh?
VVhat a vvretched and peeuiſh fellow is this King of England, to mope vvith his fat-brain'd follovvers ſo farre out of his knovvledge.
Gods providence on purpoſe permitted Moſes to fall into this peeviſh paſſion, to manifeſt the vaſt difference betvveen humane and Divine meekneſs.
Some men faſt to mortifie their luſt, and their faſting makes them peeviſh: […]
Since you are ready to take up reports, and to judge ſo raſhly as you do; I cannot but conclude you are ſome peeviſh, or melancholy Man, not fit to be diſcourſed vvith; and ſo adieu.
At first he was quite peevish. "What's the idea," he said, "coming and spoiling a man's beauty-sleep? Get out."
Something has happened to sour February's temper. Such a peevish month. […] A dreary snowstorm is raging and the wind is pursuing tormented wreaths over the hills.
They used to tell one about a kid asking his grumpy old man when they were walking to the park, 'What's the name of this flower, Papa?' And the old guy is peevish and he yells, 'How should I know? Am I in the millinery business?'
gloss: Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
pos: adj
tags: Canada
Northern-England
figuratively
examples: Serene he bears the peeviſh eaſtern blaſt, / And uninfected breaths the mortal South.
gloss: Coy, modest.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
gloss: Foolish, silly.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: VVhy vvhat a peeuiſh Foole vvas that of Creet [i.e., Daedalus], / That taught his Sonne [Icarus] the office of a Fovvle, / And yet for all his vvings, the Foole vvas drovvn'd.
Confuſion take ſuch dotage, 'tis but forg'd, / This is your peeuiſh chattering vveake old man.
gloss: Harmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: [The Scots] brent ſome of the English Shippes. With the which victory, they were ſo inflamed with pride, that in deriſion of the king, they made certaine peeuiſhe and mocking rymes vvhich I paſſe ouer.
Ile home, and ſtarue, this croſſe, this peeuiſh hap, / Strikes dead my ſpirits like a thunderclap.
gloss: Impulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: [T]heſe women be all ſuche madde pieuiſhe elues / They will not be wonne except it pleaſe them ſelues.
VVhy this it is, to be a peeuiſh Girle, / That flies her fortune vvhen it follovves her: […]
gloss: Obstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: But ſuche as will perſyſt ſtyll in theyr wylfulneſſe, I muſt nedes iudge not only foliſhe, froward and obstynate: but also peuiſhe, peruerſe and indurate.
Nothing is ſo great an enemie to a ſounde iudgment, as the pride of a péeuiſh conceit, which cauſeth a man both in life and beliefe, either to ſnatch vppe or hatch newfangles.
But, the main end for vvhich this deſert may ſeem ordained, vvas, that therein God and the Iſraelites might for forty years mutually prove one another. And upon triall, they appeared a peeviſh, frovvard, ſtubborn people.
gloss: Out of one's mind; mad.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: The dredfull dinne droue all the rowte on a rowe; / Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, / As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.
And whan Peter knocked at the wicket of the gate whyche was towardes the ſtreate ſyde, a lytle mayden came foorthe ſoftely to harken what the matter was. Her name was Rhoda. Whome Peter perceyuyng to come to the doore, wylled her ſpedely to open the doore. Whan ſhe heard Peters voice, beeying halfe amaſed for ſoddayn ioye, did not open the doore, but runnyng backe agayne into the houſe, broughte them woorde that Peter was at the doore. But they beeyng well aſſured howe ſafe Herode [Agrippa] had cauſed Peter to bee kepte, aunſwered to the mayden, Surely thou arte peuyſhe.
There vvas neuer any ſo peeuiſh to imagin the Moone eyther capable of affection, or ſhape of a Miſtris: […]
gloss: Of a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: The Lords Supper and your peeviſh, popiſh private maſſe doe agree together like God and the divell, Chriſt and Beliall, light and darkneſſe, truth and falſehood, […]
gloss: Clever, skilful.
pos: adj
tags: Northern-England
obsolete
examples: The word peeviſh among the vulgar of Scotland is uſed for niggardly, covetous; in the North of England, for vvitty, ſubtile.
Synonyms: bemoaning
carping
complaining
fretful
gripeful
gripey
grotchy
grouchy
grumbling
grumpy
knappish
kvetchy
mardy
moaning
noodgy
peevish
pettish
plaintful
querulous
sooky
spleeny
sulky
whingy
whining
whiny
Antonyms: expressionless
happy
calm
impassive
patient
phlegmatic
stoic
stoical
tolerant
uncomplaining
unflappable
unpeevish
Related words: complain
complainer
cheerless
irritable
Derived words: impeevish
impeevished
peeve
peevishly
peevishness
unpeevish
Translations: