different between petulant vs contumacious

English

Etymology

From Middle French, from Latin petul?ns, akin to petere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?t??l?nt/, /?p?tj?l?nt/

Adjective

petulant (comparative more petulant, superlative most petulant)

1. Childishly irritable.

   Synonyms: bad-tempered, crabby, grouchy, huffy; see also Thesaurus:irritable

   Antonym: easygoing

2. (obsolete) Forward; pert; insolent; wanton.

   Synonyms: brazen, flippant, impertinent; see also Thesaurus:cheeky

Translations

Anagrams

• patulent

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French pétulant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pe?.tu?l?nt/
• Hyphenation: pe?tu?lant

Adjective

petulant (not comparable)

1. (rare) exuberant

Inflection

English

Etymology

From Latin contum?x (“stubborn, obstinate”)

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: con?tu?ma?cious
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?n.tj??me?.??s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k??n.t??me?.??s/, /?k??n.tj??me?.??s/
• Rhymes: -e???s

Adjective

contumacious (comparative more contumacious, superlative most contumacious)

1. Contemptuous of authority; willfully disobedient; rebellious.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes” in The Poetical Works of John Milton, volume 4 (edited by Henry John Todd; published in 1801), page 505:

     The queen hears of it; takes occa?ion to pa??e wher he is, on purpo?e, that, under prætense of recon?iling to him, or ?eeking to draw a kind retractation from him of the cen?ure on the marriage; to which end ?he ?ends a courtier before, to ?ound whether he might be per?uaded to mitigate his ?entence; which not finding, ?he her?elf craftily a??ays; and, on his con?tancie, ?ounds an accu?ation to Herod of a contumacious affront, on ?uch a day, before many peers; præpares the king to ?ome pa??ion, and at la?t, by her daughter’s dancing, effects it.

   • 1837, Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution, Book 2.V:

     In all places too are Dissident Priests; whom the Legislative will have to deal with: contumacious individuals, working on that angriest of passions; plotting, enlisting.

2. (law) Willfully disobedient to the summons or orders of a court.

Synonyms

• (contemptuous of authority): disobedient, insubordinate, obstinate, perverse, rebellious, stubborn

Related terms

• contumaciously
• contumaciousness
• contumacy
• contumely

Translations