PETULANCE

irritability, crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, peevishness, petulance, choler

(noun) an irritable petulant feeling

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

petulance (countable and uncountable, plural petulances)

(obsolete) Rudeness, insolence. [16th–19th c.]

(obsolete) An insolent remark or act. [17th–19th c.]

Childish impatience or sulkiness; testiness. [from 18th c.]

Synonyms

• (childish impatience or sulkiness) moodiness, caprice, capriciousness, tetchiness, arbitrariness, viciousness

Source: Wiktionary

Pet"u*lance, Pet"u*lan*cy, n. Etym: [L. petulania: cf. F. pétulance. See Petulant.]

Definition: The quality or state of being petulant; temporary peevishness; pettishness; capricious ill humor. "The petulancy of our words." B. Jonson. Like pride in some, and like petulance in others. Clarendon. The lowering eye, the petulance, the frown. Cowper.

Syn.

– Petulance, Peevishness.

– Peevishness implies the permanence of a sour, fretful temper; petulance implies temporary or capricious irritation.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition