- (transitive) to irritate; vex; annoy
- something that irritates; vexation
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
peeve /piv/USA pronunciation
v., peeved, peev•ing, n.
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v.
- to annoy: [~ + object]Their last loss really peeved the coach.[It + ~ + object + that clause]It really peeved the coach that his team lost again.
n. [countable]
- something causing annoyance or irritation:His pet peeve was that no one made their beds in the morning.
peeve
(pēv),USA pronunciation v., peeved, peev•ing, n.
v.t.
n.
v.t.
- to render peevish;
annoy.
n.
- a source of annoyance or irritation:Tardiness is one of my greatest peeves.
- an annoyed or irritated mood:to be in a peeve.
- back formation from peevish 1905–10, American.
- 2. vexation, affliction, grievance.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
peeve /piːv/ informal vb
'peeve' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):