peeve

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /piv/ UK /piːv/ See IPA manual

verb noun

Meanings

1

verb
to irritate or annoy; an annoyance

It peeved her that no one had cleaned up.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to irritate or annoy; an... annoy irritate irk vex nettle rile exasperate

Opposites

please soothe gratify

Word family

Derived forms peevishpeeved

Related forms peevish

Etymology

A back-formation from peevish, which is of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle English pevische ('spiteful, perverse').

Topics

Actions & Processes

# peeve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** piv
**IPA (UK):** piːv

## Meanings
1. to irritate or annoy; an annoyance

## Examples
- It peeved her that no one had cleaned up.

## Synonyms
- annoy
- irritate
- irk
- vex
- nettle
- rile
- exasperate

## Antonyms
- please
- soothe
- gratify

## Derived Forms
- peevish
- peeved

## Related Forms
- peevish

## Etymology
A back-formation from peevish, which is of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle English pevische ('spiteful, perverse').

## AI Etymology
Peeve is a back-formation from peevish, which is of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle English pevische ('spiteful, perverse'). As a verb, peeve means to irritate or annoy; an annoyance. The same family is visible in derived forms such as peevish and peeved and related forms such as peevish. The uncertainty belongs to the older derivation, so the explanation should preserve alternatives rather than choosing one unsupported origin.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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peeve

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