peeve
C1Informal, conversational.
Definition
Meaning
To irritate or annoy someone.
A specific, often minor, source of persistent irritation; a personal annoyance or pet hate.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Most commonly used as part of the fixed phrase 'pet peeve' (noun). The verb form is a back-formation from 'peevish' and is less frequent.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both noun and verb forms are understood and used in both varieties, but 'pet peeve' is significantly more common than the verb. No major usage differences.
Connotations
The word conveys a sense of personal, sometimes slightly humorous or trivial annoyance rather than serious anger.
Frequency
Moderately common in both, slightly more common in American English according to corpus data.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun: to have a pet peeve about somethingVerb (transitive): Something peeves someone.Verb (passive): to be peeved by/at/about something.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Pet peeve”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used in informal team discussions: 'My pet peeve is unnecessary meetings.'
Academic
Very rare; considered too informal.
Everyday
Common in conversation to discuss personal annoyances.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- It really peeves me when people don't queue properly.
- She was visibly peeved by the last-minute cancellation.
- His constant humming is starting to peeve the whole office.
American English
- What really peeves me is when drivers don't use their turn signals.
- He seemed a bit peeved that he wasn't consulted.
- The new policy is sure to peeve a lot of longtime customers.
adverb
British English
- He muttered peevedly under his breath.
- She answered rather peevedly.
American English
- 'It's not fair,' he said peevedly.
- She shrugged peevedly and turned away.
adjective
British English
- He gave a peeved sigh when asked to repeat himself.
American English
- She shot him a peeved look from across the room.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My pet peeve is people talking during a film.
- Loud chewing is a real pet peeve for many people.
- One of her biggest pet peeves is receiving emails full of typos.
- It peeves him when colleagues take credit for his ideas.
- The government's latest announcement has peeved environmental campaigners.
- She confessed to a long list of pet peeves, from misused apostrophes to slow internet.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a mischievous PEEring VElociraptor (PEEVE) that does little things just to annoy you.
Conceptual Metaphor
ANNOYANCE IS A POSSESSION (I have a pet peeve). / ANNOYANCE IS AN AGENT (That really peeves me).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'пив' (beer) or 'пиявка' (leech).
- The noun 'peeve' is not a direct equivalent of 'раздражение' (irritation) in all contexts; it is more specific and personal.
- The verb is not as strong as 'бесить' (to infuriate); it's closer to 'раздражать'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'peeve' as a verb without an object: INCORRECT: 'I really peeve about that.' CORRECT: 'That really peeves me.'
- Using the noun without 'pet': While grammatically possible ('My peeve is loud chewers'), 'pet peeve' is the overwhelmingly standard collocation.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes the typical usage of 'peeve'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal. It's common in spoken English and casual writing but not suitable for formal reports or academic papers.
'Peeve' (especially 'pet peeve') implies a specific, often trivial thing that consistently bothers a particular person. 'Annoyance' is a more general term for something that causes mild anger or irritation.
Yes, but it is less common than the noun phrase 'pet peeve'. As a verb, it is transitive (e.g., 'His attitude peeves me').
It is a back-formation from the adjective 'peevish' (early 15th c., meaning 'perverse, capricious'), whose own origin is uncertain but not related to 'pet'.