Petulance: meaning, definitions and examples

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petulance

 

[ ˈpɛtjʊləns ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

showing irritation or impatience

Petulance is the quality of being childishly sulky or bad-tempered.

Synonyms

impatience, irritability, sulkiness

Examples of usage

  • She stamped her foot in petulance when she didn't get her way.
  • His constant petulance made it difficult to have a conversation with him.
Context #2 | Noun

displaying sudden impatience or irritation

Petulance can also refer to the act of displaying sudden impatience or irritation.

Synonyms

impatience, irritation, snappiness

Examples of usage

  • The customer's petulance towards the waiter was uncalled for.
  • Her petulance at the slightest inconvenience was exhausting to deal with.

Translations

Translations of the word "petulance" in other languages:

🇵🇹 irritação

🇮🇳 ढिठाई

🇩🇪 Reizbarkeit

🇮🇩 kenakalan

🇺🇦 дратівливість

🇵🇱 drażliwość

🇯🇵 短気

🇫🇷 irritabilité

🇪🇸 irritabilidad

🇹🇷 hırçınlık

🇰🇷 성급함

🇸🇦 غضب

🇨🇿 podrážděnost

🇸🇰 podráždenosť

🇨🇳 烦躁

🇸🇮 razdražljivost

🇮🇸 pirringur

🇰🇿 ашу

🇬🇪 გაღიზიანება

🇦🇿 əsəbilik

🇲🇽 irritabilidad

Word origin

The word 'petulance' originated in the mid-16th century from the Latin word 'petulantia', meaning 'impudence'. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to a childish display of impatience or irritation. The term is often used to describe behavior that is sulky, bad-tempered, or impatient.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #29,968, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.