petulant

[pech-uh-luhnt]

adjective

1. moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling annoyance.

   a petulant toss of the head.

   Synonyms: touchy, pettish, fretful, peevish, irritable

petulant

/ ˈpɛtjʊlənt /

adjective

1. irritable, impatient, or sullen in a peevish or capricious way

Other Word Forms

• petulance noun
• petulantly adverb
• unpetulant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of petulant¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin petulant- (stem of petulāns ) “impudent,” akin to petere “to seek, head for”

Word History and Origins

Origin of petulant¹

C16: via Old French from Latin petulāns bold, from petulāre (unattested) to attack playfully, from petere to assail

Example Sentences

“Daddy” pretends to be powerful, but only to mask that he has nothing to offer but petulant aggression toward those who can’t fight back.

From Salon

With actress Julie Christie or supermodel Jean Shrimpton on his arm, he specialised in playing sophisticated villains: including Superman's arch nemesis, General Zod, and the petulant Sergeant Troy in Far From the Madding Crowd.

From BBC

After spending the last six months stuck to Donald Trump like quick-drying cement, Elon Musk is backing away from politics and sounding mighty petulant about the whole thing.

From Salon

The piece talked down to Roan and diminished her requests as childish and unthinking — ironic for something as petulant as the column reads.

From Salon

Unfortunately, the stakes of this are far greater than a petulant child refusing to do their chores.

From Salon

Related Words

• cranky 
• fractious 
• impatient 
• irritable 
• perverse 
• sullen 
• testy 
• whiny