(colloquial, British) mildly hungry.
(colloquial, British) mildly hungry.
After that run, I'm feeling a bit peckish.
Peckish means: mildly hungry.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
Peckish means: mildly hungry.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "peckish".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with P.
Quick to become bad-tempered or cross, especially due to insignificant matters; irritable, pettish, petulant.
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, Southern US) : easily annoyed or irritated, peevish, testy, irascible; also (figurative) extremely sensitive, difficult to manage, use, or work.
To be peevish; to sulk.
(UK, informal) Irritable or argumentative.
FINALLY I have finished the fullbody example for my new price sheet!! 🌿 I am also planning on raising my costs a bit since my art style has heavily changed since early 2025 haha - //Peckish.paws🌀\\ - #furry #furryar…
peckish means: mildly hungry.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
“Absolute props to Lesley Manville for keeping an awards sausage to hand in case she gets peckish at the Tonys.”
“What does it matter if we know about it or not? What will change? (Feeling a little peckish today.)”
“FINALLY I have finished the fullbody example for my new price sheet!! 🌿 I am also planning on raising my costs a bit since my art style has heavily changed since early 2025 haha - //Peckish.paws🌀\\ - #furry #furryart #furryartist #furrycommission #furryfandom”
“Someone please send me Donald Trump. I'm here right now. I'll just ... forget him in all that forest. The ice on the Hudson is breaking up, the occupants will be a little peckish, and not particularly choosy about their source of fat and calories.”
“I'll get peckish within an hour 😩”
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(colloquial) irritable; crotchety.
After that run, I'm feeling a bit peckish.
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