Word of the Day - 01/31/26
petulance
/'pɛʧələns/(n.): the quality of being childishly sulky or bad-tempered
His petulance was evident when he crossed his arms and scowled after being told he couldn't have another cookie.
Word Origin
The word 'petulance' originates from the Latin word 'petulantia', meaning "wantonness, sauciness, impudence." The ultimate root is the Latin verb 'petere', meaning "to seek, aim at, attack, assail, rush at." The sense of 'petere' here implies an aggressive or attacking nature, leading to the idea of being insolent or bad-tempered.
Words such as 'petition', 'compete', 'repeat', 'impetus', 'appetite', and 'centripetal' all share the same Latin root 'petere'.