Meaning & use
fit of pique
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Meaning
nouncountabledisapproving
A short burst of bad temper or sulking caused by hurt pride or minor annoyance.
Grammar: Often follows in or with: in a fit of pique.
Patterns
- in a fit of pique
- a fit of pique over something
In a fit of pique, he deleted all of her messages.
She left the meeting in a fit of pique because nobody noticed her idea.
His resignation looked like a fit of pique rather than a serious decision.
Word forms
| plural | fits of pique |
|---|
Common combinations
- in a fit of pique
- In a fit of pique, she hung up the phone.
- storm out in a fit of pique
- He stormed out in a fit of pique after losing the vote.
- a childish fit of pique
- The tweet was a childish fit of pique.
- have a fit of pique
- The actor had a fit of pique and refused to rehearse.
- resign in a fit of pique
- The coach resigned in a fit of pique.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tantrum
- A tantrum is louder and more childlike, with shouting or crying, while a fit of pique is quieter and about wounded pride.
- huff
- A huff is informal and describes sulky, offended behavior, whereas a fit of pique sounds more formal.
- sulk
- A sulk is a longer period of silent bad mood, while a fit of pique is brief and often leads to a sudden action.
- outburst
- An outburst is any sudden show of strong emotion, not specifically about hurt pride.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fit of pique or peak?
fit of pique vs peak
Peak and peek sound the same as pique, but mean the top of something and a quick look, with nothing to do with anger.
Practice
He tore up the invitation in a ___ because he had not been chosen to give the speech.
Choose one answer.
A fit of pique is a brief burst of annoyance from hurt pride, which suits tearing up an invitation. The other options describe positive or calm moods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fit of pique”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.