adjective
pesky
PEHS-kee
adjective
1
Annoying or troublesome, especially in a persistent, low-level way.
"A pesky fly kept buzzing around the picnic table."
"We finally fixed that pesky bug in the login page."
How to Use Pesky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMildly annoying, in a way that keeps coming back — often used about small animals, insects, or minor problems.
When to use it
Informal and a bit old-fashioned/folksy in tone.
Common pairings
pesky fly
pesky little
pesky problem
Word Forms
peskier comparative, peskiest superlative
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A _____ fly kept buzzing around the picnic table.
Etymology
Possibly an alteration of "pesty" (from "pest"), following a pattern similar to "nasty" shifting toward "nasky" in some dialects.