the.com/peevishness
Irritation too petty to be anger, too persistent to ignore.
means A cranky, easily-irritated temperament that snaps or sulks over small annoyances.
from From 'peevish,' which shows up in Middle English (notably in Chaucer's time) meaning foolish, spiteful, or perverse — though its own origin before that is murky, possibly linked to Latin 'perversus' (turned the wrong way) or simply coined as an echo of that fretful, contrary sound. The '-ness' was bolted on later to turn the mood into a noun — the state of being perpetually, pettily put out.
- origin
- root meaning unknown, oddly fitting for pointless annoyance
- scale
- smaller than rage, louder than mild annoyance
- tell
- complains about everything, commits to nothing
- company
- often travels with sighing and crossed arms