as in annoying
causing annoyance
the pesky problem of what to do with all the leftovers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pesky
All the same, understanding a Morandi still-life is a pesky illusion that may overtake you, the cure for which is looking again, harder.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, that pesky, protruding, uncontrollable external organ is still not ready for general public viewing.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Also along for the ride had been my son, Eli, who was—to the girls, anyway—a pesky 12-year-old tagalong.
—Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2025
And so on — a long, pesky, expensive list of fixes that will encourage fires to keep moving along like a burglar looking for an easy score.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pesky 
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, that pesky, protruding, uncontrollable external organ is still not ready for general public viewing.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
Also along for the ride had been my son, Eli, who was—to the girls, anyway—a pesky 12-year-old tagalong.
—Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2025
And so on — a long, pesky, expensive list of fixes that will encourage fires to keep moving along like a burglar looking for an easy score.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pesky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesky
Adjective
-
CenturyLink hasn't broken its annoying habit of leaving customers without service for weeks or months and repeatedly failing to show up for repair appointments.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
10 Feb. 2025
-
These evergreen monocultures, originally planted as lumber during the country’s postwar building boom, cause annoying seasonal allergies and dangerous erosion that leads to mudslides.—
Hannah Kirshner,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For the last three weeks, Democrats up and down the seniority list have been stuck playing an especially frustrating game of Whac-a-Mole: smack the outrage of the hour and then race to hit the next one, never quite leveling the field.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
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Unfortunately, the setup process is frustrating compared with the competition, as are the site-building tools.—
Robert Anderson,
PCMAG,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Crusty eyes can be unsightly and irritating, but there are ways to manage and treat the debris and keep your eyes clean and healthy.—
Laura Schober,
Health,
29 Jan. 2025
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Try substituting less irritating sodium ascorbate for vitamin C and retinal for retinol or tretinoin.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pesky
Cite this Entry
“Pesky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesky. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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