pet peeve
4 synonyms for pet peeve, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small, specific thing that annoys you far more than it annoys most people.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use pet peeve
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
my biggest pet peeve
pet peeve of mine
a common pet peeve
Informal and conversational; chiefly American in origin but now used everywhere. Plural is pet peeves.
Etymology
From pet in the sense of 'favourite, particularly cherished' plus peeve, a back-formation from peevish meaning irritable.
Full origin of pet peeve →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pet peeve and a bugbear?
They mean nearly the same thing. Bugbear is the more British word and often applies to a wider, more serious source of irritation, while pet peeve is American in origin and usually names a small, oddly specific annoyance.
Why is it called a pet peeve?
Pet here carries its old sense of 'favourite' or 'specially kept', as in a pet theory or a pet project. A peeve is an irritation, so a pet peeve is an annoyance you keep and nurse as your own.
What are common pet peeves?
Frequently cited ones include loud chewing, people who stand still at the top of escalators, slow walkers, replying-all unnecessarily, and leaving the last bit of milk in the carton. The point of the phrase is that the reaction is disproportionate to the offence.
