pique
pique — noun
1. a sudden feeling of anger and hurt caused by wounded pride or being treated disr
a sudden feeling of anger and hurt caused by wounded pride or being treated disrespectfully
In a fit of pique, Inês ripped up the invitation and threw it away.
collocation: in a fit of pique
Gabriela refused to join the group photo out of sheer pique.
collocation: out of pique
Dahlia walked out in a fit of pique after the board ignored her idea.
Tendai quit the group chat and never returned, in a fit of pique.
A flash of pique crossed Leo's face when his rival won the contract.
- resentment
a longer-lasting bitter feeling, not necessarily sudden
- indignation
anger at something perceived as unjust; often more righteous than pique
- umbrage
very formal; specifically means taking offense at a slight
用法筆記
Often appears in the phrase 'in a fit of pique' or 'out of pique'. The feeling described is typically short-lived and tied to a specific slight.
常見錯誤
2. a strong cotton or silk fabric with raised parallel lines woven into its surface
a strong cotton or silk fabric with raised parallel lines woven into its surface, often used for shirts and dresses
Mayumi wore a crisp white pique shirt to the summer garden party.
collocation: pique shirt
The baby's yellow pique dress had tiny embroidered flowers along the hem.
Jason chose a navy cotton pique fabric for the polo shirts he was designing.
Arjun unfolded the white pique tablecloth and spread it across the long table.
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1: this is a type of woven fabric, not an emotion. Sometimes spelled with an accent: piqué.
pique — verb
- piquepresent simple I / you / we / they
- piques3rd person singular
- piquing-ing form
- piquedpast simple
1. to make someone feel curious or interested in something, usually by hinting at i
to make someone feel curious or interested in something, usually by hinting at it without giving full details
The strange letter with no return address piqued Maja's curiosity immediately.
collocation: pique someone's curiosity
The museum's short video piqued Noor's interest in ancient Greek pottery.
collocation: pique someone's interest
An unexpected knock at midnight piqued the entire family's curiosity.
The teacher's mysterious comment piqued the students' interest in the lesson.
A single photograph in the old book piqued Arjun's interest in his family history.
文法句型
pique + someone's + curiosity/interest
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'curiosity' or 'interest' as the object. The subject is typically a hint, a clue, or something mysterious rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. to make someone feel annoyed, offended, or resentful, especially by failing to s
to make someone feel annoyed, offended, or resentful, especially by failing to show them the respect they expect
The waiter's dismissive tone piqued Gabriela more than the cold food did.
Min felt piqued when the manager failed to make introductions at the meeting.
passive: be/feel piqued by something
The director's rude remark piqued the entire team and soured the workshop.
Leo was so piqued at being passed over for the award that he resigned.
The email's cold tone piqued Dahlia, so she decided not to reply for a week.
文法句型
pique + someone
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: this sense means to offend or annoy a person directly, while sense 1 means to stimulate a feeling such as curiosity.