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petulant

ˈpɛtʃələntadjective

What does petulant mean?

Childishly sulky or bad-tempered over small things.

Petulant, six ways

PlainChildishly sulky or bad-tempered over small things.
ADHDSulky. Over nothing. Arms crossed.
Gen ZThrowing a tiny tantrum because the coffee order was wrong.
MetaphorA slammed door over a closed window.
FormalChildishly sulky or bad-tempered.
Like I’m 5Getting grumpy and sulky about small things, like a little kid. That’s petulant.

How to pronounce petulant

PECH-uh-lunt/ˈpɛtʃələnt/

Petulant in a sentence

He gave a petulant shrug and walked off.
A petulant toddler threw her spoon.
The senator’s petulant posts did not help.

Synonyms for petulant

sulkyPlainer, and moody.
peevishEasily irritated.
childishPlainer and broader.

Where petulant comes from

Latin. Petulans, impudent, from petere, to attack, to seek.

Good to know

Petulant says the bad mood is childish for the occasion. It is usually a criticism of adults.

Petulant meaning, on a Gloss card: Childishly sulky or bad-tempered over small things.

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In: Words for people