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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
Why is the first definition of pique "to arouse resentment"?
From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
pique
transitive verb
1
: to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arouse anger or resentment in : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irritate <what piques linguistic conservatives — T. H. Middleton>
2
a : to excite or arouse especially by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff <sly remarks to pique their curiosity> b : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pride <he piques himself on his skill as a cook>
I have only ever heard pique used in the sentence "piqued my interest/curiousity," which is the second definition listed above. I have searched online and I can't find any examples outside of dictionary sites that use the word pique to mean "arouse resentment," which has negative connotations in my mind and actually means nearly the opposite of the second definition. The first definition implies piquing arouses only negative emotions, but the second definition takes the same provocation and applies it in a constructive way, implying that to "pique one's interest" is synonymous with expanding someone's horizons by placing them in a new situation that requires unique and original thinking. I mainly ask because I was doing a crossword puzzle, and pique was the answer with the clue "resentment." I know crosswords sometimes use the more obscure definition, but that clue really piqued my interest in this term's definition.
pique
transitive verb
1
: to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arouse anger or resentment in : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irritate <what piques linguistic conservatives — T. H. Middleton>
2
a : to excite or arouse especially by a provocation, challenge, or rebuff <sly remarks to pique their curiosity> b : http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pride <he piques himself on his skill as a cook>
I have only ever heard pique used in the sentence "piqued my interest/curiousity," which is the second definition listed above. I have searched online and I can't find any examples outside of dictionary sites that use the word pique to mean "arouse resentment," which has negative connotations in my mind and actually means nearly the opposite of the second definition. The first definition implies piquing arouses only negative emotions, but the second definition takes the same provocation and applies it in a constructive way, implying that to "pique one's interest" is synonymous with expanding someone's horizons by placing them in a new situation that requires unique and original thinking. I mainly ask because I was doing a crossword puzzle, and pique was the answer with the clue "resentment." I know crosswords sometimes use the more obscure definition, but that clue really piqued my interest in this term's definition.
Top answer
"In a fit of pique" is a fairly common expression which uses pique to mean anger.
- "In a fit of pique" is a fairly common expression which uses pique to mean anger.
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2 Answers
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"In a fit of pique" is a fairly common expression which uses pique to mean anger.
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Dictionaries often list multiple definitions of words in historical order. The usage that is the oldest is therefore listed first. That may be the reason.
So if you're using a dictionary to look up a word meaning, don't necessarily expect the first definition to be the most frequently used modern meaning.
CJ
So if you're using a dictionary to look up a word meaning, don't necessarily expect the first definition to be the most frequently used modern meaning.
CJ
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