as in annoying
causing annoyance
the pesky problem of what to do with all the leftovers
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Recent Examples of pesky
For much of Demary’s 22 minutes, he was joined on the court by his backup, Malachi Smith, giving the Huskies two ballhandlers and facilitators, and two pesky defenders.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Celtics weren’t able to create any distance from their pesky hosts until Brown hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the half — one off a nifty underhanded pass from Neemias Queta, the other set up by a Scheierman offensive rebound.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
One way that the duo was able to eke even more performance out of the One was to ignore the UCI’s pesky rulebook.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
And the real body’s reputation predates the pesky War of Independence.
—Alexis Coe, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesky
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
The Celtics weren’t able to create any distance from their pesky hosts until Brown hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the half — one off a nifty underhanded pass from Neemias Queta, the other set up by a Scheierman offensive rebound.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
One way that the duo was able to eke even more performance out of the One was to ignore the UCI’s pesky rulebook.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
And the real body’s reputation predates the pesky War of Independence.
—Alexis Coe, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesky
Adjective
-
Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of all this information range from mildly annoying to very serious.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead of posing questions about geography or world affairs, the test asked him to tackle hypothetical situations, from the frustrating to the dangerous.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Travelers said the long lines have been frustrating and are looking forward to TSA officers getting paid again.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Here's where things get a bit irritating.—
Justin Pot,
PC Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pesky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesky. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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