petulant
[ pech-uh-luhnt ]
/ ˈpɛtʃ ə lənt /
adjective
moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling annoyance: a petulant toss of the head.
Origin of petulant
1590–1600; < Latin
petulant- (stem of
petulāns) impudent, akin to
petere to seek, head for
OTHER WORDS FROM petulant
pet·u·lant·ly, adverb un·pet·u·lant, adjective un·pet·u·lant·ly, adverbWords nearby petulant
petty officer,
petty sessions,
petty-fitzmaurice,
petulance,
petulancy,
petulant,
petunia,
petuntse,
petworth house,
petén-itzá,
petöfi
Example sentences from the Web for petulant
British Dictionary definitions for petulant
petulant
/ (ˈpɛtjʊlənt) /
adjective
irritable, impatient, or sullen in a peevish or capricious way
Derived forms of petulant
petulance or petulancy, noun petulantly, adverbWord Origin for petulant
C16: via Old French from Latin
petulāns bold, from
petulāre (unattested) to attack playfully, from
petere to assail