pesky

adjective

pes·​ky ˈpe-skē 

peskier; peskiest

: troublesome, vexatious

pesky issues

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• disturbing
• exasperating
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of pesky in a Sentence

I've been trying to get rid of this pesky cold for weeks.

the pesky problem of what to do with all the leftovers

Recent Examples on the Web

Rest assured, most of us still don’t know how to deal with pesky blackheads. —Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 11 Feb. 2025

Despite standing at just 6 feet and 202 pounds, Mitchell is known as a pesky perimeter defender who will help the Heat’s point-of-attack defense. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025

So, if natural persistence doesn’t keep pesky bacteria around, what does? To find out, the Swiss team monitored how both mice and tissue-mimicking lab models affected Salmonella survival. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025

Trump’s genius marketing instincts—his ability to dominate narratives and news cycles, to speak simply and consistently, pesky facts and nuances be damned—translated even better to politics than business. —Matt Craig, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably irregular from pest + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pesky

adjective

pes·​ky ˈpes-kē 

peskier; peskiest

: troublesome sense 2

peskily

-kə-lē

adverb

peskiness

-kē-nəs

noun