piquing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of piquingnext
as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction piquing remarks that were said mainly to get a rise out of the other guests at the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piquing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of pique
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in priding
to think highly of (oneself) she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquing
  1. provocative
  2. bothering
  3. provoking
  4. charged
  5. encouraging
  6. stimulating
  7. exciting
  8. irritating
Adjective
  • To photograph her as a model, in the bold outfits and provocative poses that advertising and editorial employ, renders that photographic language distinctly visible, and critiquable.
    Max Norman, ARTnews.com, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The movie’s sharp humor and layered storytelling explore themes of faith and ambition in a way that feels both fresh and provocative.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of provocative
Verb
  • Treatment starts with testing to make sure juniper is the allergen that's bothering you.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Dec. 2024
  • The Kansas Jayhawks were bothering Shedeur Sanders all day, but the star quarterback especially took exception to one hit.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • The most emotion-provoking parts of this episode for me are the Travis segments, and the main emotion those scenes provoke is irritation.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2024
  • With millions of square feet of expo space to explore, hundreds of thought-provoking sessions to attend and more than half of the Fortune 500 expected to meet up with, planning is key to getting the most from the show.
    Martine Paris, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of provoking
Adjective
  • The ceremony came at a charged moment, coinciding with Columbia University canceling its graduation ceremony (and largely closing off its campus).
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 6 May 2024
  • Of course, genocide is a charged and redolent term, recalling the systematic precision of the Holocaust and the society-wide butchery of the Rwandan genocide.
    Kristina Hook, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2022
Definition of charged
Verb
  • In such cases, this process could deliver significant value simply by encouraging the reinstatement of clear, enforceable guidelines.
    Barry Cousins, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • In light of these statistics, organizations are increasingly pushing consumers toward chatbots, emails and FAQs, encouraging customers to figure out their own problems.
    Todd Fisher, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of encouraging
Verb
  • In addition, research suggests that stimulating the vagus nerve can decrease intestinal permeability in IBD and other gastrointestinal disorders.
    Stacey Colino, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Studies in mice and rats with partial spinal cord injuries showed that stimulating these neurons improved the animals’ ability to walk, paving the way for the current trials in humans.
    Michael Irving, New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of stimulating
Adjective
  • Now, Sailors can jump aboard any of our ships across an endless variety of exciting destinations for an entire year.
    Alex Ledsom, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
  • But customers praise the business for ‘exciting new things coming’ Popular CT donut shop to close.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 7 Dec. 2024
Definition of exciting
Verb
  • Humans must remain in the loop, and treating human interaction like a premium service is a quick route to irritating many customers.
    Todd Fisher, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • This 2023 Best of Beauty winner contains a retinol alternative duo that firms and smoothes the look of fine lines and wrinkles without irritating the skin or being to harsh.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of irritating
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near piquing

piques

piquing

piracy

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Piquing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquing. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on piquing

Nglish: Translation of piquing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of piquing for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

More Words with Remarkable Origins

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
confused man standing between two doors
One Word or Two? Take the Quiz! Some words just need a little space.