petulance

pet·u·lant  (pch-lnt)

adj.

1. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish.

2. Contemptuous in speech or behavior.

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[Latin petulns, petulant-, insolent, from petere, to assail; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]

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petu·lance, petu·lan·cy n.

petu·lant·ly adv.

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petulance

1. the condition or quality of being irritable, peevish, or impatient.
2. an irritable or peevish statement or action. Also petulancy. — petulant, adj.

See also: Attitudes

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

petulance - an irritable petulant feeling         choler, crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, irritability, peevishness ill humor, ill humour, distemper - an angry and disagreeable mood testiness, tetchiness, touchiness - feeling easily irritated pet - a fit of petulance or sulkiness (especially at what is felt to be a slight)

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petulance

noun sulkiness, bad temper, irritability, spleen, pique, sullenness, ill-humour, peevishness, querulousness, crabbiness, waspishness, pettishness