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pettish

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Pettish describes someone easily irritated or annoyed, often used to depict a peevish, petulant, or moody disposition.

Detailed Definition
The term 'pettish' describes a mood of irritability or petulance, often associated with childish behavior. In the context of the poem, it characterizes the wasp's temperament as it becomes entangled in the spider's web, highlighting the tension between the natural instincts of the creatures involved.
Example
Example in poetry:
"I saw a pettish wasp / Fall foul therein" irritable; enhanced: "I saw a pettish wasp / Fall foul therein"; Swift satire; contemporary: "Pettish moods in relationships"; educational: "Pettish peevish in Augustan fables."
Additional Notes
The word 'pettish' captures the wasp's irritable nature as it struggles within the web.; Found in the poem, Upon a Spider Catching a Fly by Edward Taylor
Also Known As
petulant peevish irritable fractious
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