peeve 1 of 2

peeve

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word peeve different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of peeve are exasperate, irritate, nettle, provoke, and rile. While all these words mean "to excite a feeling of anger or annoyance," peeve suggests arousing fretful often petty or querulous irritation.

a toddler peeved at being refused a cookie

In what contexts can exasperate take the place of peeve?

In some situations, the words exasperate and peeve are roughly equivalent. However, exasperate suggests galling annoyance and the arousing of extreme impatience.

his exasperating habit of putting off needed decisions

When can irritate be used instead of peeve?

Although the words irritate and peeve have much in common, irritate implies an often gradual arousing of angry feelings that may range from mere impatience to rage.

constant nagging that irritated me greatly

When might nettle be a better fit than peeve?

The words nettle and peeve can be used in similar contexts, but nettle suggests a sharp but passing annoyance or stinging.

your pompous attitude nettled several people

When would provoke be a good substitute for peeve?

While the synonyms provoke and peeve are close in meaning, provoke implies an arousing of strong annoyance that may excite to action.

remarks made solely to provoke her

When is it sensible to use rile instead of peeve?

The synonyms rile and peeve are sometimes interchangeable, but rile implies inducing an angry or resentful agitation.

the new work schedules riled the employees

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 peeve
Noun
Seeing cooks walk back and forth to their pantry is one of Roger’s top peeves. Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024 During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden reached for one of his top recent peeves: shrinkflation. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Billionaire tech CEOs Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Google, Tim Cook of Apple, and Elon Musk got prime seats at President Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol rotunda — peeving lawmakers in both parties. Emily Brooks, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025 So, to sum things up: A player peeved about a lack of playing time actively turned down playing time, leading to the team denying him playing time. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for peeve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peeve
Noun
  • Aside from her talk about specific songs, Roan also opened up about the creative process, which can sometimes be a massive headache, despite her being known for her catalog of fun and peppy songs.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
  • Making matters worse, China’s been a real headache for Starbucks, even before the tariffs, on increasing local competition and tepid growth in the world’s second-largest economy.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Waltz now has a bunch of top officials, and their teams, who are annoyed at him for drawing bad publicity.
    Marc Caputo, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025
  • However, standing in the middle of a road to capture the Eiffel Tower in the background is not only unsafe but can also annoy locals.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • At first, the un-washable Fisk murals are a nuisance to the new mayor, but there are ways to take advantage of the situation.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2025
  • In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.
    Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.
    Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Volunteers were charged around 25 cents per huff, bringing in good profit for those who’d invested in the necessary gas tanks, tubes, and breathing bags.
    Oshan Jarow, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Verb
  • Aaron Boone said Bellinger’s back started bugging him during Thursday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Ralph Macchio on the one thing that still bugs him about Karate Kid Part II My Cousin Vinny tells the story of three bombastic Italian-Americans caught up in an over-the-top legal drama.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth.
    Laura Mallonee, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025
  • To shield your hands against thorns when pruning, wear leather or leatherlike gloves.
    Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • So, Joe comes in with a lot of hostility, a lot of anger, a lot of rage for what happened.
    Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Aggression For some individuals, the turmoil following a breakup can give rise to an inexplicable burst of anger.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.
    Jay Cost, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peeve. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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