peevish
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
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Pronunciation: /ˈpiːvɪʃ/ / /ˈpivɪʃ/
adj
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.
- Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
“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; […]”
- Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
“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, […]”
- Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
“Serene he bears the peeviſh eaſtern blaſt, / And uninfected breaths the mortal South.”
- Coy, modest.
- Foolish, silly.
“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.”
- Harmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.
“[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.”
- Impulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.
“[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: […]”
- Obstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.
“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.”
- Out of one's mind; mad.
“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.”
- Of a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc.
“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, […]”
- Clever, skilful.
“The word peeviſh among the vulgar of Scotland is uſed for niggardly, covetous; in the North of England, for vvitty, ſubtile.”
adv
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.
- Synonym of peevishly (“in a peevish manner: whiningly; irritably, petulantly; etc.”).
“She was not halfe so wyse / As she was peuysshe nyse.”
“Be the atturney of my loue to her. / Pleade vvhat I vvill be, not vvhat I haue bene, / Not by deſertes, but vvhat I vvill deſerue, / Vrge the neceſſitie and ſtate of times, / And be not pieuiſh, fond in great deſignes.”