pique
Noun pluralpiques (some meanings)
Often confused with peak and peek
Pluralpiques (some meanings)
- 1To make someone feel interested or curious about something.
Like the smell of food that makes you want to look in the kitchen.
The mysterious letter piqued her curiosity right away.
A good teacher can pique a student's interest in math.
UsageMost often pique your interest or curiosity. Spell it pique (not
incorrect: peak).Similararouse, spark, stimulate, stir, excite
Note
- 2A feeling of being hurt or annoyed because of an insult or a slight.
Like the quick sting of hurt feelings when someone ignores you.
In a fit of pique, he slammed the door and left.
Her pique faded once she heard the apology.
UsagePeople often say in a fit of pique.
Similarirritation, resentment, annoyance, indignation, displeasure
Note
- 3USpee-KAY/piˈkeɪ/UKPEE-kay/ˈpiːkeɪ/Another spelling of piqué. It means a kind of ribbed cotton cloth.
She wore a crisp white pique dress to the summer party.
The collar was trimmed with fine cotton pique.
Note
- 4To hurt someone's pride or annoy them. In the past, also to become annoyed or upset.
Like a small pebble in your shoe that keeps bothering you.
His rude comment piqued her, and she walked off.
Don't let small remarks pique you so easily.
UsagePique a person can mean annoy them. Pique their interest means make them curious.
Similaroffend, irritate, annoy, nettle, sting
Note
Less common meanings
- 5To feel proud of something you do or have.
Like patting yourself on the back for doing a good job.
She piques herself on her honesty.
They pique themselves on finishing early every time.
UsageSay pique yourself on something you are proud of.
Similarpride, congratulate
Note
- 6To stir yourself up or get yourself excited.
Note
- 7A point or matter, especially one touching a person's honor.
Note
- 8A small tropical flea that burrows into the skin, also called a chigger or jigger.
Like a tiny flea that digs into your skin.
Travelers in the tropics often picked up a pique in their feet.
The piques burrowed under the skin and caused painful sores.
Note
- 9In the card game piquet, to score a pique against another player.
Note
- 10A disorder where a person craves and eats things that are not food, such as clay or chalk.
Similarpica
Note
- 11A feeling of dislike or anger between people.
Not so Madame de Soissons, who at once divined his intentions and watched his progress, internally resolving to render him every ill office pique could suggest, or ridicule execute.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara - 12A tiny biting fly, like a midge or sand fly.
- 13In the card game piquet, a thirty-point bonus the first player gets for reaching thirty before the other player scores anything.
Showing meanings only.
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Origins
This comes from French piquer, meaning to prick, sting, or annoy. It may imitate a sound, or come from an old Germanic word for pecking or pricking.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Pique comes from French piquer, with meanings including prick, sting, and annoy. en.wiktionary.org
- Its proposed origins include sound imitation and a Germanic word meaning to peck or prick. en.wiktionary.org
This comes from French pic, meaning a pike or sharp point, and refers to the game of piquet.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The piquet term comes from French pic. en.wiktionary.org
- The French source word has the historical meaning of a pike or sharp point. en.wiktionary.org
- This origin concerns the term used in piquet. en.wikipedia.org
This comes from Spanish pique, which came from the Central Quechua word piki.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- English pique comes from Spanish pique, which comes from Central Quechua piki. en.wiktionary.org
This is a variant of piqué, from French piqué, a ribbed or quilted fabric, based on the verb piquer ("to prick, stitch, quilt").
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Pique is a variant of piqué. en.wiktionary.org
- Piqué comes from French piqué. en.wiktionary.org
- French piqué denotes ribbed or quilted fabric. en.wiktionary.org
- Piqué is based on piquer, whose meanings include prick, stitch, and quilt. en.wiktionary.org
This is a variant of pica, from Late Latin pica, a disorder involving craving for non-food substances, from Latin pīca meaning magpie.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Pique is a variant of pica, with an origin in Late Latin pica. en.wiktionary.org
- Late Latin pica denotes a disorder involving craving for non-food substances. en.wiktionary.org
- The medical term derives from Latin pīca, meaning magpie. en.wikipedia.org