What does petulance mean?
Petulance is the noun for irritable, peevish impatience, particularly the exaggerated or childlike kind that turns a small inconvenience into a source of obvious distress or complaint. It can refer either to a person's general temperament or to a particular display of temper, as in a fit of petulance. The word often carries a mildly disapproving implication: the behavior described is considered unreasonable, overly sensitive, or immature. Petulance is consequently more precise and more evocative than simply saying that someone is upset or annoyed. It is common in formal writing, literary criticism, and descriptions of children or people who react strongly to minor disappointments, though it is not restricted to either children or literature. In everyday use, the related adjective petulant describes the person exhibiting this behavior, while the noun petulance names the quality or the outward display of it.
nounThe state or display of being irascibly impatient, especially in a childlike or exaggerated way.
- Irritable, peevish impatience, especially when displayed in an exaggerated or childlike manner.
"She met the minor inconvenience with an irritating display of petulance."
"His petulance over the delayed train made the journey unpleasant for everyone."
"The negotiations collapsed when one side abandoned patience and responded with petulance."
Grammatically correct but uncommon; singular petulance is normally preferred even when several instances are being discussed.
"Brief petulances interrupted the otherwise cordial meeting."
Petulance is the precise word for the sour mood that follows when a small inconvenience is treated as a major affront.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does petulance come from?
Petulance entered English in the early 17th century from French petulance, which derives from Latin petulantia, a noun formed from petulans, meaning peevish or impatient. The related English adjective petulant and its adverb petulantly continue the same Latin family, while petulously derives through the closely related adjective petulous.
Related word forms
How petulance is actually used
A formal, often literary word with a mildly disapproving tone. It usually describes conspicuous impatience or emotional fussiness, especially that regarded as immature.
Easily confused with petulance
Petulance is the noun for the behavior, whereas petulant is the adjective describing the person or attitude exhibiting it.