petulant Definition
petu·lant (pec̸h′ə lənt)
adjective
- Obsolete forward or insolent
- impatient or irritable, esp. over petty things; peevish
Etymology: L petulans (gen. petulantis), forward, petulant < base of petere, to rush at, fall: see feather
petulant Related Forms
pet′u·lance noun or pet′u·lancy
pet′u·lantly adverb
petulant Synonyms
petulant Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- child: Sadly, the petulant child ' little Bush ' has now won.
- behavior: The row it caused and Cann's petulant behavior carried on for well over a year.
- display: To what do I owe such a petulant display of insolence?
- kick: And not Beckham's petulant kick, as 250 million viewers had previously thought.
- voice: He went on, whistling merrily, until a petulant voice cried: " Oh, stop it!
- tone: They tend to have a petulant tone, in which important matters jostle with others of less significance.
Modifying Another Word
rather: PM inclined to lash out at all & sundry & rather petulant.
Browse dictionary entries near petulant
- ‹ petulance
- ‹ Petty, Sir William
- ‹ petty officer
- ‹ petty larceny
- ‹ petty jury
- ‹ petty cash
- ‹ petty bourgeois
- ‹ petty
- ‹ pettitoes
- ‹ pettish

