Today’s Words That Work: Petulant

Petulant (PECH-uh-lunt) — from the Latin for “impudent” — means cranky; easily irritated or annoyed.

Example (as used by Bruce Barcott in a New York Times review of The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick): “[General Custer] was a gambler, a probable adulterer, a petulant boss, and an impulsive blabbermouth. His eccentricity tilted toward stupidity. He once divided up his regiment according to color. Horse color.”