Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

petulance

/ˈpɛtjʊləns/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.08 in modern English

Syllables: petu-lance
IPA: /ˈpɛtjʊləns/

13

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Rudeness, insolence.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

noun

An insolent remark or act.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

noun

Childish impatience or sulkiness; testiness.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[W]ise men knew, that that, which looked like pride in some, and like petulance in others, would, by experience in affairs, and conversation amongst men, both of which most of them wanted, be in time wrought off […]"
"I believe I was guilty of a petulance, which nothing but my uneasy situation can excuse; if that can."
"She […] had shown herself angry and sore, and was now ashamed of her own petulance, and yet unable to discontinue it."

Etymology

From Middle French pétulance, and its source, Latin petulantia.

Usage

Inflected Forms

petulances (plural)

Synonyms

caprice capriciousness moodiness tetchiness irritability crossness fretfulness fussiness peevishness choler

Questions

How do you pronounce petulance?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɛtjʊləns/.
What does petulance mean?: Rudeness, insolence.
Where does petulance come from?: From Middle French pétulance, and its source, Latin petulantia.

How to pronounce petulance

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “petulance”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɛtjʊləns/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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