1
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
my main peeve with the animal welfare organization is the endless stream of unsolicited trinkets in my mailbox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offence
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity
he holds on to a peeve until the offending person apologizes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she is constantly peeved by his habit of humming show tunes while she is trying to focus on her work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of peeve
Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024
During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden reached for one of his top recent peeves: shrinkflation.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
Billionaire tech CEOs Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Google, Tim Cook of Apple, and Elon Musk got prime seats at President Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol rotunda — peeving lawmakers in both parties.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peeve
Noun
Seeing cooks walk back and forth to their pantry is one of Roger’s top peeves.
—Marni Jameson, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024
During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden reached for one of his top recent peeves: shrinkflation.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
And people are often peeved to hear about it.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Nov. 2024
Billionaire tech CEOs Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Google, Tim Cook of Apple, and Elon Musk got prime seats at President Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol rotunda — peeving lawmakers in both parties.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for peeve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peeve
Noun
-
Once doctors reviewed the family’s travel history, treatment was quickly shifted to address concerns of histoplasmosis, which the CDC explains can cause cause flu-like symptoms including fever and chills, malaise, cough, headache, chest pain and body aches.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
Symptoms include persistent fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, per the Virginia Department of Health.—
Tess DeMeyer,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Orlando Sentinel Residents also allege the neighbor erected phallic objects on a fence at his home to annoy them.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
-
Cahill also spoke about how the political nature of the case annoyed him, as politicians spoke out about Floyd's death, and some called for system-wide change.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
And these types of messages go beyond being a mere nuisance.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
24 May 2025
-
In 2011, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit brought by a group of states (including California) against a number of power companies, claiming that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel generated electricity were a public nuisance under federal law.—
Josiah Neeley,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Volunteers were charged around 25 cents per huff, bringing in good profit for those who’d invested in the necessary gas tanks, tubes, and breathing bags.—
Oshan Jarow,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
-
But this is not the case in Season 2, and it’s been bugging me to no end.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
-
In less than a minute, Judge posed both the problem and the solution that will bug the Yankees for as long as Soto is doing his shuffle.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The Entity’s human helper Gabriel (Esai Morales) becomes more of a thorn in Ethan’s side and our heroes scatter to London, South Africa and the Arctic on a mission that would be rather impossible for anyone not named Tom Cruise.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
Roses Landscape roses add no-fuss color and charm to your garden, but the thorns are not especially charming.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
Down encourages readers to use their righteous anger toward rebuilding a fractured world.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
22 May 2025
-
Told in the first person, the story explores a lot of the feelings that Helen experiences: frustration and anger and love for her friend.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
After years of ‘losing culture,’ can the new-look Chicago Bears turn things around on defense? Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard didn’t bother mincing words.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
The walk, only his second this month, bothered him.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Peeve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peeve. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share