Pet — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb abbreviation /ˈpet/

Meaning & Definition of Pet

Pet (noun)

  1. a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility
  2. a pampered and usually spoiled child
  3. a person who is treated with unusual kindness or consideration, darling
  4. a fit of peevishness, sulkiness, or anger

Pet (adjective)

  1. kept or treated as a pet
  2. expressing fondness or endearment
  3. favorite

Pet (verb)

  1. to treat as a pet
  2. to stroke in a gentle or loving manner
  3. to treat with unusual kindness and consideration, pamper
  4. to take offense, sulk

Pet (abbreviation)

  1. petroleum
  2. Peter
  3. positron-emission tomography

Pet (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person or thing that is preferred over others

    "the teacher's pet was always getting special privileges"

    similar: darling, fave, favorite, minion, preference, speed, cup of tea
    related: beloved, dear, sweetheart, jewel, prize, treasure
    near: abomination, anathema, bête noire, bugbear

  2. a state of resentful silence or irritability

    "the teenager stalked off in a pet after being refused permission to go the movies"

    similar: grouch, hump (British), pouts, snit, sulk, sulkiness, sullenness
    related: blues, dumps, mopes, surliness, biliousness, choler, crankiness, crossness, crotchetiness, fantods, grouchiness, grumpiness, huffiness, irascibility, irascibleness, irritability, irritableness, peevishness, perverseness, perversity, pettishness, petulance, testiness, waspishness, cantankerousness, disagreeableness, dyspepsia, fretfulness, orneriness, fussiness, querulousness, oversensitiveness, sensitivity
    near: cheerfulness, gaiety, gladsomeness, high-spiritedness, lightheartedness, perkiness, affability, agreeableness, amenity, amicability, cordiality, friendliness, geniality, graciousness, pleasantness, sociability, sociality, amiability, amiableness, good-humoredness, good-naturedness, good-temperedness

Pet (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. granted special treatment or attention

    "spent my free time on my pet project"

    similar: beloved, cherished, darling, dear, fair-haired, favored, favorite, fond, loved, precious, special, sweet, white-headed
    related: admired, adored, appreciated, esteemed, relished, revered, prized, treasured, preferred
    opposite: unbeloved
    near: abhorred, abominated, despised, detested, disdained, disfavored, disliked, execrated, hated, loathed, unfavorite, abandoned, forgotten, ignored, alienated, estranged

Pet (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner

    "a cat who loves to be petted"

    similar: caress, fondle, gentle, love, pat, stroke
    related: bill, canoodle, cuddle, neck, nestle, nose, nuzzle, snuggle, spoon, feel up, paw, cradle, embrace, enfold, hug, bounce, dandle, knead, massage, baby, coddle, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil

Related Entry: Pet peeve (noun)

Pet peeve is a different word from Pet. The synonyms below are for pet peeve, not for pet.

  1. something that annoys or bothers a person very much

    "One of my biggest pet peeves is people driving too slowly on the highway."

    similar: hang-up, problem, aggravation, aggro (British), annoyance, bother, botheration, bugbear, exasperation, frustration, hair shirt, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, rub, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation, discomfort, fleabite, pinprick, affront, insult, offense, upset, worry, affliction, albatross, burden, cross, curse, menace, millstone, plague, sore, anxiety, plight, predicament, tribulation, trouble, annoyer, disturber, harasser, mischief, offender, pandora's box
    opposite: delight, joy, pleasure

Related Entry: Pet peeves (noun)

Pet peeves is a different word from Pet. The synonyms below are for pet peeves, not for pet.

  1. something that annoys or bothers a person very much

    "One of my biggest pet peeves is people driving too slowly on the highway."

    similar: hang-ups, problems, aggravations, aggros (British), annoyances, botherations, bothers, bugbears, exasperations, frustrations, hair shirts, hassles, headaches, inconveniences, irks, irritants, nuisances, peeves, pests, rubs, ruffles, thorns, trials, vexations, discomforts, fleabites, pinpricks, affronts, insults, offenses, upsets, worries, afflictions, albatross, burdens, crosses, curses, menaces, millstones, plagues, sores, anxieties, plights, predicaments, tribulations, troubles, annoyers, disturbers, harassers, mischiefs, offenders, pandora's boxes
    opposite: delights, joys, pleasures

Related Entry: In a pet (phrase)

In a pet is a different word from Pet. The synonyms below are for in a pet, not for pet.

  1. feeling or showing anger

    "I confronted my sister in a pet after hearing that she had told someone else our secret."

    similar: angered, angry, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off (chiefly British), choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed, infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty (chiefly British), sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth, bent out of shape, blue in the face, fit to be tied, going crook (Australia & New Zealand), hopping mad, hot under the collar, in a fume, in a huff
    related: ranting, raving, stormy, boiling, bristling, bristly, burning, cross, huffy, passionate, seething, sizzling, smoldering, worked up, wrought (up), acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, bitter, embittered, inimical, malevolent, piqued, rancorous, resentful, spiteful, vengeful, vindictive, virulent, vitriolic, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, ill-tempered, sorehead, sulky, unfriendly, unpleasant, aggravated, annoyed, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, exasperated, fretful, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, inflammable, irascible, irritable, peevish, perturbed, petulant, put out, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy, argumentative, belligerent, contentious, contrary, disputatious, ornery, pugnacious, quarrelsome, querulous
    opposite: angerless, delighted, pleased
    near: accepting, accommodating, obliging, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, amicable, cordial, friendly, content, happy, satisfied, empathetic, sympathetic, tolerant, understanding, calm, pacific, peaceable, placid, serene, tranquil, unembittered, affable, amiable, easygoing, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, kind, pleasant, sweet

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pet

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pet:

British: hump
darling, fave, favorite, minion, preference, speed, cup of tea, grouch, pouts, snit, sulk, sulkiness, sullenness, beloved, cherished, dear, fair-haired, favored, fond, loved, precious, special, sweet, white-headed, caress, fondle, gentle, love, pat, stroke

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pet

Words with the opposite meaning of Pet:

unbeloved

Related Words for Pet

sweetheart, jewel, prize, treasure, blues, dumps, mopes, surliness, biliousness, choler, crankiness, crossness, crotchetiness, fantods, grouchiness, grumpiness, huffiness, irascibility, irascibleness, irritability, irritableness, peevishness, perverseness, perversity, pettishness, petulance, testiness, waspishness, cantankerousness, disagreeableness

Near Antonyms of Pet

abomination, anathema, bête noire, bugbear, cheerfulness, gaiety, gladsomeness, high-spiritedness, lightheartedness, perkiness, affability, agreeableness, amenity, amicability, cordiality, friendliness, geniality, graciousness, pleasantness, sociability, sociality, amiability, amiableness, good-humoredness, good-naturedness, good-temperedness, abhorred, abominated, despised, detested

Word Forms of Pet

Inflections: petted, petting

Derived words: petter (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Pet

perhaps back-formation from Middle English pety small petty

First known use: 1710

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Pet

Words & Phrases Containing Pet

pet peeve, PET scan

Frequently Asked Questions about Pet

What does "Pet" mean?

"Pet" means a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility. As an a noun, an adjective, a verb and an abbreviation, it is defined as: a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pet"?

Other words for "Pet" include darling, fave, favorite, minion, preference, speed, cup of tea and grouch. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pet" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pet"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pet". Common alternatives include darling, fave, favorite, minion, preference, speed, cup of tea, grouch, hump and pouts.

What is the opposite of "Pet"?

Antonyms of "Pet" include unbeloved. Near antonyms include abomination, anathema, bête noire and bugbear.

How do you use "Pet" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pet" in a sentence: "the teacher's pet was always getting special privileges"; "the teenager stalked off in a pet after being refused permission to go the movies"; "spent my free time on my pet project".

Is "Pet" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Pet" can be used as a noun, an adjective, a verb and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

Is "Pet" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Pet" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Pet"?

"Pet" is pronounced /ˈpet/.