pettish

adjective

pet·​tish ˈpe-tish How to pronounce pettish (audio)
pettishly adverb
pettishness noun

Examples of pettish in a Sentence

a pettish baby who always seemed to be crying
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At best, Harsin is a pettish version of Michael Scott at Dunder Mifflin, a poor manager of people selling reams of paper out of an office building at the dawn of our digital age. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 9 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

probably from pet entry 4

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pettish was circa 1552

Dictionary Entries Near pettish

Cite this Entry

“Pettish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pettish. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

pettish

adjective
pet·​tish ˈpet-ish How to pronounce pettish (audio)
pettishly adverb
pettishness noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!