as in anger
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity
in a fit of pique she posted embarrassing photos of her ex-boyfriend on the Internet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pique
Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
There’s a knowing performative element to Singer’s pique, yet Freedman’s passion appears genuine, even personal.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Alan Burdick, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Jewelry is not in my journalistic remit but when technology meets jewelry, my interest is piqued.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pique
Noun
Unlike the Patriots backlash, however, current pique against the Kansas City footballers intersects with a couple of larger unexpected social issues.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
There’s a knowing performative element to Singer’s pique, yet Freedman’s passion appears genuine, even personal.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
This piqued the interest of Dr. John Eng, an endocrinologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, who worked with Dr. Raufman to isolate and identify a novel compound, exendin-4, in the lizard’s venom.
—Alan Burdick, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Jewelry is not in my journalistic remit but when technology meets jewelry, my interest is piqued.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pique
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pique
Noun
-
And so when something went wrong or something went against his wishes, why, there would be a display of anger.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2025
-
Brown was also instructed to attend an anger management program and undergo a psychological/psychiatric evaluation.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
The comedy as a second-class sibling to the drama is a notion that has annoyed the people who make television comedies for years.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
7 June 2025
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In some cases, that will be obvious: You’ll get annoyed by weird or loud noises and odors, notice your energy bill has skyrocketed, or spot signs of a leak.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Couple that with an alarming increase in misogyny in both politics and the culture at large, and women in the public eye are at constant risk of accidentally provoking these types of hate campaigns.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 June 2025
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The 1925 offside rule, therefore, initially created incredibly attack-minded football, and then provoked considerably more cautious football.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Worse yet, for a team that prides itself on winning up front, the Ravens allowed the Bills to rush for 147 yards and three touchdowns.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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For a team that prides itself on being able to wear pitchers down, TCU couldn’t create offensive momentum against Aoki.—
Shotgun Spratling,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The chute opens, and rambunctious No. 2 bursts out with an impatient huff.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
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Volunteers were charged around 25 cents per huff, bringing in good profit for those who’d invested in the necessary gas tanks, tubes, and breathing bags.—
Oshan Jarow,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump initially tapped to co-lead DOGE, pushed for an expansion of the program as way to attract global talent, irritating immigration hawks in the conservative movement.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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Use Insect Repellent to Avoid Bug Bites Stinging, biting, and otherwise irritating bugs are prevalent in summer.—
Sarah Richards,
Verywell Health,
3 June 2025
Verb
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In order to protect his brother, Gi-jun encouraged Ju-woon and Bong-san to stage a coup.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
6 June 2025
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Musk, who spent almost $300 million on last year’s election, had also encouraged the primarying of lawmakers who voted for it.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Understandably, the online narrative bothered the director as well.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
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This is an arrangement that bothers Kagi's founder.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pique. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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