petulant
PETCH-uh-lunt
/ˈpɛtʃ.ə.lənt/
Childishly sulky or bad-tempered; complaining in an unreasonable, irritable manner.
Implies a immature, whiny, or childish outburst driven by minor annoyance.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin petulans, an adjective related to petere ('to rush at' or 'attack'). Originally, it described someone who insolently attacked or picked fights; over time, the meaning softened to describe childish, snappy ill temper.
Word relationships
- peevish: Peevish describes persistent fretful irritability; petulant highlights immature, moody outbursts.
- sullen: Sullen implies silent, resentful brooding; petulant involves vocal or expressive sulking.
- good-humored: Good-humored describes a cheerful, easygoing temperament.
- placable: Placable means easily calmed or pacified.
Commonly confused with
- postulant: A postulant is a candidate entering a religious order; petulant means childishly irritable.
Word family
- petulance (noun): Childish bad temper or peevishness.
- petulantly (adverb): In a petulant or childishly bad-tempered manner.
Collocations
- petulant child
- petulant outburst
- petulant tone
- petulant mood
Idioms & expressions
- throw a tantrum
- spit out one's dummy
Example sentences
- "Dorian turned round, and frowned. 'I am sick of women who love one,' he cried, with a petulant gesture." Novel excerpt depicting vanity
- "The executive's petulant refusal to consider reasonable counteroffers alienated key business partners." Negotiation report
Memory hook
A PET who wants a biscuit acts PETULANT when you say no. Sulking like a spoiled child.
When not to use
Do not use for righteous anger or severe, mature grief.
Fun facts
- 17th-century English speakers used 'petulant' to mean 'flirtatious' or 'saucy' before it settled into its modern sense of bad temper.
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