Standard Lemma guide

pesky

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɛski/
  • pĕʹski
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P EH1 S K IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Annoying, troublesome, irritating (usually of an animal or child).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Stay out of my yard, you pesky kids!
  • That pesky dog is barking again.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: aggravating, aggy, annoying, wretched, displeasing, bothersome, chagrining, cruddy, douchetastic, douchey, drippy, gittish, honery, irksome, irritating, obnoxious, pesky, plaguy, troublesome, twattish, vexatious

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

causing irritation or annoyance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • 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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pestering, pestiferous, plaguy, plaguey, teasing, vexatious, vexing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Possibly from pesty. Compare similar alteration between nasty and nasky.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: досаден (dosaden) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Bulgarian: отегчителен (otegčitelen) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Czech: otravný — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Dutch: irritant — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Dutch: vervelend — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Dutch: rottig — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Dutch: lastig — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Esperanto: incitema — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Finnish: ärsyttävä — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • French: agaçant — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Galician: molesto — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Galician: irritante — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • German: nervtötend — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • German: lästig — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • German: ärgerlich — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • German: nervig — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Greek: εκνευριστικός (eknevristikós) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Ido: tedanto — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Ido: tedero — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Italian: molesto — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Italian: fastidioso — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Macedonian: до́саден (dósaden) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Macedonian: здо́девен (zdódeven) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Norwegian: plagsom — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Polish: cholerny — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Polish: upierdliwy — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Portuguese: chato — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Portuguese: irritante — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Romanian: agasant — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Romanian: enervant — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Russian: надое́дливый (nadojédlivyj) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Russian: доку́чливый (dokúčlivyj) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Russian: навя́зчивый (navjázčivyj) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Russian: назо́йливый (nazójlivyj) — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Swedish: irriterande — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Turkish: can sıkıcı — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Turkish: nahoş — annoying, troublesome, irritating
  • Turkish: sinir bozucu — annoying, troublesome, irritating