pesky

(redirected from peskier)
Also found in: Thesaurus.

pes·ky

 (pĕs′kē)
adj. pes·ki·er, pes·ki·est Informal
Troublesome; annoying: a pesky mosquito.

[Probably alteration of pest.]

pes′ki·ly adv.
pes′ki·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pesky

(ˈpɛskɪ)
adj, peskier or peskiest
informal chiefly US and Canadian troublesome: pesky flies.
[C19: probably changed from pesty; see pest]
ˈpeskily adv
ˈpeskiness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pes•ky

(ˈpɛs ki)

adj. -ki•er, -ki•est.
annoying: a pesky fly.
[1765–75; alter. of pesty (pest + -y1)]
pesk′i•ly, adv.
pesk′i•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.pesky - causing irritation or annoyancepesky - causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong"
disagreeable - not to your liking; "a disagreeable situation"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

pesky

adjective
Informal. Hard to treat, manage, or cope with:
Slang: mean.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

pesky

[ˈpeskɪ] ADJ (peskier (compar) (peskiest (superl))) (US) → molesto
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pesky

[ˈpɛski] adj (= irritating) → casse-pieds inv
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

pesky

adj (+er) (esp US inf) → nervtötend (inf)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pesky

[ˈpɛskɪ] adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (Am) (fam) → fastidioso/a, noioso/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in periodicals archive ?
As e-commerce flourishes, product returns have become even peskier. At the same time, those in the third-party logistics space who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty are helping shippers create new revenue streams by accommodating the booming demand.
'I was a rookie before and if you want to talk about rookies, there's not a peskier rookie than Calvin,' Santos said, referring to Alaska's Calvin Abueva.
And odds are they'll be peskier this fall than last because the SAFMC kept the season locked down all year in Atlantic waters.
When it comes to media or content, many people still consider the smartphone to be the younger, peskier cousin of the desktop, inheriting all of its innovations of the past two decades, white still stubbornly resisting large-scale advertising.
Asked about who presented the peskier test in the two-hour match, two-time U.S.
Asked about who presented the peskier test in the two - hour match, two - time US Open winner Williams said: "The bee was a challenge but easily the answer is Kimiko." Early upset In an upset on the men's side, twice US Open semifinalist Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, the 21st seed, fell to big-serving Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 7-6 (1).
An even peskier obstacle arrives in the form of Dustin Noble (Krasinski), a dogged activist who launches an anti-Global campaign, teaching locals that fracking is not only laying waste to a proud agricultural tradition, but also contributing to air/water pollution and killing livestock (problems examined at length in Josh Fox's 2010 docu "GasLand").