pettish

pettish
pettish 1550s, “impetuous,” evidently from PET (Cf. pet) in some sense + -ISH (Cf. -ish). Meaning “peevish, easily annoyed” is from 1590s.
It has naturally been assoc. with PET sb.1, as being a characteristic habit of a ‘pet' or indulged and spoiled child; but the connexion of sense is not very clear or simple .... [OED]
Related: Pettishly.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pettish — Pet tish, a. [From {Pet}.] Fretful; peevish; moody; capricious; inclined to ill temper. A pettish kind of humor. Sterne. {Pet tish*ly}, adv. {Pet tish*ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pettish — index fractious, petulant, querulous Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • pettish — *irritable, fractious, peevish, petulant, snappish, waspish, huffy, fretful, querulous …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • pettish — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ petulant. DERIVATIVES pettishly adverb pettishness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • pettish — [pet′ish] adj. [< PET2 + ISH] peevish; petulant; cross pettishly adv. pettishness n …   English World dictionary

  • pettish — pettishly, adv. pettishness, n. /pet ish/, adj. petulantly peevish: a pettish refusal. [1585 95; see PET2, ISH1] * * * …   Universalium

  • pettish — /ˈpɛtɪʃ/ (say petish) adjective peevish; petulant: a pettish refusal. {pet1 + ish1, originally, like a spoiled child} –pettishly, adverb –pettishness, noun …  

  • pettish — adjective Etymology: probably from 4pet Date: 1583 fretful, peevish • pettishly adverb • pettishness noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • pettish — adjective bad tempered; peevish …   Wiktionary

  • pettish — pet|tish [ˈpetıʃ] adj ↑petulant >pettishly adv …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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