PIQUE
What does "PIQUE" mean?
A feeling of irritation or resentment from a slight to one's pride.
Meanings
- A fit of irritation or wounded pride, often petty. In a fit of pique, she left the party without saying goodbye. formal
- To stimulate or arouse interest or curiosity. The strange title piqued my curiosity.
- To irritate or wound someone's pride. He was piqued by the joke at his expense. formal
Did you know?
- To 'pique someone's interest' and to act 'in a fit of pique' come from the same French verb meaning 'to prick' - curiosity and resentment are both small stings.
Word origin
From French 'pique' (a prick, sting), from 'piquer' (to prick, sting), of imitative or Romance origin; the same family gives 'piquant' and the playing-card suit 'pique' (spades).
Remember it
PIQUE is the rare word where 'pique' your interest means prick it - picture a tiny PIN poking your attention awake.
A little poem
A small slight pricked him, sharp as any pin,
and pride, once stung, would not let pardon in.
couplet
Wordplay
- The chili pepper piqued my interest and my temper - one bite stung my curiosity, the next stung my mouth.
What it teaches
The same small prick can wake your curiosity or your resentment - choose which one to follow.
Quick facts
What does PIQUE mean?
A feeling of irritation or resentment from a slight to one's pride.
Is PIQUE a valid word?
Yes — PIQUE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is PIQUE?
PIQUE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does PIQUE come from?
From French 'pique' (a prick, sting), from 'piquer' (to prick, sting), of imitative or Romance origin; the same family gives 'piquant' and the playing-card suit 'pique' (spades).
What can PIQUE teach us?
The same small prick can wake your curiosity or your resentment - choose which one to follow.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.