ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Petulance

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈpɛtjʊləns/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Petulance is a noun meaning Childish impatience or sulkiness; testiness.

Meaning

Childish impatience or sulkiness; testiness.

More Meanings

  1. (obsolete) Rudeness, insolence.
  2. (obsolete) An insolent remark or act.

Example Sentences

I believe I was guilty of a petulance, which nothing but my uneasy situation can excuse; if that can.
She […] had shown herself angry and sore, and was now ashamed of her own petulance, and yet unable to discontinue it.
[W]ise men knew, that that, which looked like pride in some, and like petulance in others, would, by experience in affairs, and conversation amongst men, both of which most of them wanted, be in time wrought off […]

Word Forms

Synonyms for petulance

Depending on context, synonyms include caprice, capriciousness, moodiness, tetchiness, choler, fretfulness.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include fussiness, irritability, crossness, peevishness, fretfulness, choler.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.