pet peeve
pet peeve — noun
1. a small, specific thing that annoys you more than it seems to bother other peopl
a small, specific thing that annoys you more than it seems to bother other people, and that you often complain about — for example, a bad habit someone has, or a minor inconvenience that irritates you every time it happens.
Benjamin's biggest pet peeve is people who talk loudly on their phones in the library.
someone's + pet peeve + is + [annoying behaviour]
Ayesha has a pet peeve about colleagues leaving dirty coffee cups in the sink.
have a pet peeve about + [noun phrase]
One of Mr. Okafor's pet peeves is students who check their phones during class.
Piotr's pet peeve is drivers who block the intersection after the light turns red.
Daichi's pet peeve is hotel pillows that are too flat for a good sleep.
- annoyance
more general; can be serious or minor — 'pet peeve' is specifically minor and recurring
- irritation
more neutral and less personal in tone
- grievance
more formal and implies a stronger sense of unfairness
- bugbear
similar meaning but less common in everyday speech
文法句型
someone's + pet peeve
a pet peeve of + someone
用法筆記
Frequently used with possessive adjectives or noun possessors: 'my pet peeve', 'his biggest pet peeve', 'a pet peeve of hers'. The thing that annoys you typically follows 'is' or 'when/people who...' — never use 'pet peeve' for serious or major problems; it is reserved for minor, personal annoyances.