Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Adj.

[OE.

pevische

; of uncertain origin, perh. from a word imitative of the noise made by fretful children +

-ish

Habitually fretful; easily vexed or fretted; hard to please; apt to complain; querulous; petulant.

“Her peevish babe.”

Wordsworth.

She is

peevish

, sullen, froward.

Shakespeare

Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction;

as, a

peevish

answer

Silly; childish; trifling.

[Obs.]

To send such

peevish

tokens to a king.

Shakespeare

Syn. – Querulous; petulant; cross; ill-tempered; testy; captious; discontented. See

, a.

Fretful; petulant; apt to mutter and complain; easily vexed or fretted; querulous; hard to please.

She is peevish, sullen, froward.

Expressing discontent and fretfulness.

I will not presume

To send such peevish tokens to a king.

Silly; childish.