Petulant
hardPET-yoo-lunt
adjective
Definition
childishly sulky or bad-tempered; peevish
Examples
“He gave a petulant scowl when told he would have to wait his turn.”
“The actor's petulant outbursts on set made him notorious among the crew.”
Categories
GRE Tip
Petulant is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "peevish" or "irritable" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "good-humored".
Related GRE Words
fractious
Irritable, quarrelsome, or prone to conflict
querulous
habitually complaining in a peevish, whining manner
irascible
easily angered; quick-tempered
solicitous
showing attentive care or concern for someone
languid
lacking energy or vigor; slow and relaxed
levity
lightness of manner or treatment, especially when inappropriate
Master petulant and 1,000+ GRE words
Learn through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.