peckish

adjective

ˈpe-kish How to pronounce peckish (audio)
Definition of peckishnext
chiefly British
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food I think I'll have a snack before we go, as I'm feeling a bit peckish

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of peckish Back upstairs, peckish guests can glimpse the bakers in The Pie Room, where various savory pies are baked fresh in the morning, and then served on site and for takeaway. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Not peckish, not in need of a little boost—hungry, immediately and completely, hunger as urgent as any alarm clock. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026 Protein, fats, and fiber are key to keeping you full, so a meal low on those vital nutrients could leave you feeling peckish before long. — Caroline Tien, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026 Their appetite for postseason basketball now satisfied, the Knicks faithful have grown peckish for more. — Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 Feb. 2026 Pack toys and snacks While screen time may be a great distraction on its own, especially on longer flights, kids may get peckish and want other things to do. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 17 Dec. 2025 On his delivery routes, Bridges drinks from a flask to keep hydrated, and catches and eats bugs when peckish. — Simon Parkin, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025 The teeny cut-outs look like the work of a very polite, hungry goldfish or maybe a peckish guinea pig. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 3 Feb. 2025 The miniature sandwich felt more appropriate for a kids meal or someone feeling peckish. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peckish
hungry
Adjective
  • Inter Miami is hungry to get back on track after the recent slump.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The continent's sweltering summer has meanwhile boosted demand for air conditioning and other energy-hungry appliances at a time when demand for gas, widely used for Europe's heating and cooking needs, naturally falls.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hungry

Browse Nearby Words

pecking orders
peckish
pecks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peckish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peckish. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All