ˈpēvish, -vēsh adjective
Etymology: Middle English pevish spiteful
1. : morose or querulous in temperament or mood : hard to please : irritable , fretful
had never known her so peevish — W.M.Thackeray
rather peevish with waiting — Edmund Wilson
2. : perversely obstinate : contrary
the forwardness of peevish children — Edmund Burke
a frequently peevish struggle against the universal spirit of innovation — Daniel Aaron
3. : marked by ill temper (as actions or words)
with a peevish gesture she slapped over the rest of the notes — A.J.Cronin
her accent was peevish — Jane Austen
that peevish sort of criticism — Times Literary Supplement
Synonyms: see irritable