- 1愛為小事使性子；動不動就煩
A peevish person is easily by small, things. They snap at a noise, a wait, a question they did not want.
A peevish person愛為小事發脾氣的人 is easily annoyed很容易被惹毛 by small, unimportant things因為一些微不足道的小事 They snap at a noise他們會因為一個聲音就發火 a wait一次等待 a question they did not want一個他們不想聽到的問題
The word paints a habit, not one explosion of anger: it is a character of being cross about trivia. You meet it in novels, in a tired description of a child, and in slightly old-fashioned talk; it is not teen slang.
The word paints a habit這個詞描繪的是一種習性 not one explosion of anger而不是一次性的爆怒 it is a character是一種性格 of being cross about trivia為了雞毛蒜皮的小事發火 You meet it in novels你會在小說裡遇到它 in a tired description of a child在描寫疲憊小孩的文字裡 and in slightly old-fashioned talk以及在有點老派的談話裡 it is not teen slang它不是青少年流行語
Though actually, it is not the same as angry. Angry can be big and fair. Peevish is small, sour, and often a bit unreasonable.
Though actually不過其實 it is not the same as angry它跟angry不一樣 Angryangry can be big可以很強烈 and fair也可以很有道理 Peevish is smallpeevish則是小小的 sour帶點酸 and often a bit unreasonable而且常常有點不講理
Babies and worn-out old people get called peevish too — fretful, hard to please. A peevish remark is a short, irritated one.
Babies and worn-out old people小嬰兒和累壞的老人家 get called peevish too也會被說是peevish fretful愛哭鬧 hard to please難以取悅 A peevish remark一句peevish的話 is a short, irritated one是一句簡短、帶著怒氣的話
The further history of the word is not settled, so it is kinder not to pretend we know a tidy Latin story.
The further history of the word這個詞更早的來源 is not settled還沒有定論 so it is kinder所以比較厚道的做法 not to pretend是不要假裝 we know a tidy Latin story我們知道一個整整齊齊的拉丁文故事
core核心畫面
組成來自中古英語後期 pievish、pevish（任性、別扭）。再往上並不確定：有人猜跟拉丁文 perversus（被扭轉、走偏）有關，但那只是猜測，牛津詞典那邊似乎也不買單，所以不要當事實記。
原始詞典資料12 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
peevishadj/ˈpiːvɪʃ/
- 1
Constantly complaining, especially in a childish way due to insignificant matters; fretful, whiny.
- Due to the long wait, there were several peevish patients in the doctor’s waiting room.
- [T]he nature of religion, […] showeth it consisteth […] not in a peevish crossness and obstinate repugnancy to received laws and customs, but in a quiet and peaceable submission to the express laws of God, and lawful commands of man; […]
- 2
Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
- I would rather figure things out on my own than ask that peevish librarian for help.
- The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […]
- 3
Of weather: blustery, windy; also, of wind: cold and strong; bitter, sharp.
- Serene he bears the peeviſh eaſtern blaſt, / And uninfected breaths the mortal South.
- 4
obsoleteCoy, modest.
- 5
obsoleteFoolish, silly.
- VVhy vvhat a peeuiſh Foole vvas that of Creet [i.e., Daedalus], / That taught his Sonne [Icarus] the office of a Fovvle, / And yet for all his vvings, the Foole vvas drovvn'd.
- Confuſion take ſuch dotage, 'tis but forg'd, / This is your peeuiſh chattering vveake old man.
- 6
obsoleteHarmful, injurious; also, mischievous; or malicious, spiteful.
- [The Scots] brent ſome of the English Shippes. With the which victory, they were ſo inflamed with pride, that in deriſion of the king, they made certaine peeuiſhe and mocking rymes vvhich I paſſe ouer.
- Ile home, and ſtarue, this croſſe, this peeuiſh hap, / Strikes dead my ſpirits like a thunderclap.
- 7
obsoleteImpulsive and unpredictable; capricious, fickle.
- [T]heſe women be all ſuche madde pieuiſhe elues / They will not be wonne except it pleaſe them ſelues.
- VVhy this it is, to be a peeuiſh Girle, / That flies her fortune vvhen it follovves her: […]
- 8
obsoleteObstinately in the wrong; perverse, stubborn.
- But ſuche as will perſyſt ſtyll in theyr wylfulneſſe, I muſt nedes iudge not only foliſhe, froward and obstynate: but also peuiſhe, peruerſe and indurate.
- Nothing is ſo great an enemie to a ſounde iudgment, as the pride of a péeuiſh conceit, which cauſeth a man both in life and beliefe, either to ſnatch vppe or hatch newfangles.
另外 3 個記錄的用法
- 9
obsoleteOut of one's mind; mad.
- The dredfull dinne droue all the rowte on a rowe; / Some tremblid, some girnid, some gaspid, some gasid, / As people halfe peuysshe, or men that were masyd.
- And whan Peter knocked at the wicket of the gate whyche was towardes the ſtreate ſyde, a lytle mayden came foorthe ſoftely to harken what the matter was. Her name was Rhoda. Whome Peter perceyuyng to come to the doore, wylled her ſpedely to open the doore. Whan ſhe heard Peters voice, beeying halfe amaſed for ſoddayn ioye, did not open the doore, but runnyng backe agayne into the houſe, broughte them woorde that Peter was at the doore. But they beeyng well aſſured howe ſafe Herode [Agrippa] had cauſed Peter to bee kepte, aunſwered to the mayden, Surely thou arte peuyſhe.
- 10
obsoleteOf a thing: evoking a feeling of distaste, horror, etc.
- The Lords Supper and your peeviſh, popiſh private maſſe doe agree together like God and the divell, Chriſt and Beliall, light and darkneſſe, truth and falſehood, […]
- 11
obsoleteClever, skilful.
- The word peeviſh among the vulgar of Scotland is uſed for niggardly, covetous; in the North of England, for vvitty, ſubtile.
peevishadv/ˈpiːvɪʃ/
- 1
obsoleteSynonym of peevishly (“in a peevish manner: whiningly; irritably, petulantly; etc.”).
- She was not halfe so wyse / As she was peuysshe nyse.
- Be the atturney of my loue to her. / Pleade vvhat I vvill be, not vvhat I haue bene, / Not by deſertes, but vvhat I vvill deſerue, / Vrge the neceſſitie and ſtate of times, / And be not pieuiſh, fond in great deſignes.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。