as in irritability
readiness to show annoyance or impatience
I do not appreciate your petulance and eagerness to argue
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Recent Examples of petulance
But that all changed after a bout of petulance during a Premier League game against Blackburn Rovers in the final midweek of that season.
—
Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Perhaps Kevin Love, who had served as a locker-room (and social-media) buffer during the worst of times over Butler’s six weeks of Heat-ed petulance this season.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025
But the nearly invisible surveillance-style approach to capturing the survivalists seems to help both them and their pit crews (who must live and sleep at HQ) forget that they will be broadcast on national TV, allowing for some raw moments of petulance, fear, and questionable choices.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
And Monday night’s show of frustration and occasional petulance at Stamford Bridge was precisely the kind of example Pereira does not need from a player supposed to set an example for others to follow.
—Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulance
Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 May 2025
Perhaps Kevin Love, who had served as a locker-room (and social-media) buffer during the worst of times over Butler’s six weeks of Heat-ed petulance this season.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 May 2025
But the nearly invisible surveillance-style approach to capturing the survivalists seems to help both them and their pit crews (who must live and sleep at HQ) forget that they will be broadcast on national TV, allowing for some raw moments of petulance, fear, and questionable choices.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
And Monday night’s show of frustration and occasional petulance at Stamford Bridge was precisely the kind of example Pereira does not need from a player supposed to set an example for others to follow.
—Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petulance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petulance
Noun
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Severe sunburns can also cause physical discomfort and psychological distress, including pain, irritability, embarrassment, and symptoms like fever and dehydration.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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Mood changes like sadness, anxiety, or irritability arise.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
26 June 2025
Noun
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According to her July 2025 report to the UN Human Rights Council, Albanese claimed the U.S. may be ‘liable for the international crime of aggression’ for President Trump's strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
9 July 2025
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Rotating Carriers To Multiple Hotspots USS Nimitz is now operating in the Red Sea to deter further aggression from Iran and its regional proxies.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petulance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petulance. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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