Pique in a Sentence: Meaning, Examples & Practice

Pique means to arouse interest or curiosity, and it also means to irritate someone or wound their pride. To use pique in a sentence, name what is stirred: “The first chapter piqued her curiosity.” The word is a verb in both senses, and the irritation sense often appears in the fixed phrase in a fit of pique.

Pique at a glance

• Pique is a verb meaning to arouse interest and to irritate; it is also a noun for wounded pride.
• Its forms are pique, piques, piqued and piquing.
• The commonest object is curiosity or interest in the pleasing sense.
• The noun survives in the phrase in a fit of pique.
• The commonest error is writing peaked or peeked for piqued.

What does pique mean?

Pique is a verb meaning to arouse interest or curiosity, or to make someone feel irritated or resentful. The Cambridge entry for pique records both, and the difference is worth keeping apart: one sense attracts attention, the other wounds pride. Where the effect is simply mild pleasure, delight the audience is the warmer verb, because pique keeps a spark of challenge.

One limitation is worth stating plainly. Pique is not a general word for liking something, and it never means to bore. A question can pique interest only if the interest was not there before, which is why the verb suits beginnings, teasers and first impressions rather than conclusions.

How do you use pique in a sentence?

The verb takes a direct object, and that object is almost always curiosity, interest or a person. Four patterns cover the useful cases, and the negative sense needs a human object rather than an abstract one.

Pique in a sentence: examples across contexts

Pique changes register smoothly while keeping its two senses, and each sentence below shows which one is at work. The object is the clue: curiosity and interest for the pleasing sense, a person for the wounding one.

Readers who want the milder, wholly positive effect choose stimulate curiosity instead, because pique always leaves a flicker of challenge or discomfort. Where a cause is meant to make someone cross, provoke a reaction is the more forceful verb.

Pique vs peak, peek and clique

The spelling confusion is the real trap, because pique, peak and peek sound identical in most accents but mean different things. A fourth lookalike, clique, shares only the ending.

Verdict: write piqued when interest was roused or pride was pricked, peak when you mean a summit, and peek when you mean a quick look. For the near-spelling neighbour opaque, meaning hard to see through, there is no shared history at all.

Word forms and grammar of pique

Pique inflects regularly, and the accent you may have seen, piqué, belongs to borrowed French terms rather than to this verb.

Keep piquant out of this family in meaning. The adjective describes a sharp taste or a pleasantly stimulating idea, and it never carries the sense of irritation that the noun pique does.

Common mistakes with pique

• Incorrect: The trailer really peaked my interest. Correct: The trailer really piqued my interest. Rule: peak means a summit, so it cannot raise curiosity; pique is the verb for that.
• Incorrect: She peeked my curiosity with one line. Correct: She piqued my curiosity with one line. Rule: peek means a quick look and takes no object of this kind.
• Incorrect: I am pique at the delay. Correct: I am piqued at the delay. Rule: the adjective use needs the participle piqued, not the base form.
• Incorrect: He resigned in a fit of piqued. Correct: He resigned in a fit of pique. Rule: the fixed phrase carries the noun, never the participle. Where the annoyance is loud, irritate a neighbour is the plainer verb.

Practice using pique

Work through the six items, then check the reasoning rather than only the answer.

1. Fill the gap: The strange symbol on the map ______ our curiosity at once.
2. Choose the better word: The trailer (peaked / piqued) everyone’s interest.
3. Correct the error: He left the meeting in a fit of piqued.
4. Build a sentence: use pique about a question that makes a class curious.
5. Spot the register: which belongs in a book review, the plot piqued my interest, or the plot piqued me off?
6. Rewrite with the noun: The delay annoyed her. Use pique.

Answers

1. piqued. The object is curiosity, so the pleasing sense is required and the verb is past tense.
2. piqued. Interest was roused; peaked would wrongly mean a summit.
3. He left the meeting in a fit of pique. The fixed phrase needs the noun pique.
4. Model answer: One odd photograph piqued the class enough to start a debate.
5. The plot piqued my interest. A review uses standard collocation and avoids invented slang.
6. The delay piqued her. The noun sense of wounded pride is carried by the verb here.

The bottom line

Use pique in a sentence when something stirs curiosity or pricks someone’s pride, and let the object tell the reader which sense you mean. The two facts that decide most sentences are that the verb takes a direct object and that piqued is the past form, never peaked. When the feeling is warm rather than sharp, annoy a colleague and delight are the safer choices.

Frequently asked questions about pique

Is it piqued or peaked my interest?

The correct form is piqued my interest. Peak means the highest point of something, as in the peak of the season, so it cannot describe roused curiosity. Pique is the verb that means to stir interest, and its past tense is piqued. Peeked, meaning glanced, is a third lookalike to keep separate.

Does pique always mean to irritate?

No. Pique has two senses, and the context decides which one is active. When the object is curiosity or interest, the sense is to attract attention. When the object is a person, the sense is to wound or irritate. The noun, as in a fit of pique, always carries the irritation.

Is pique a formal word?

Pique sits in the middle register and appears in reviews, news and fiction. The verb is common enough to be safe in most writing, though the noun phrase in a fit of pique sounds slightly literary. In casual speech people often say got me interested instead, but piqued remains correct and concise.

Can pique be a noun?

Pique works as a noun meaning a feeling of wounded pride or resentment. It survives mostly in the fixed phrase in a fit of pique, which describes an act done out of irritation. Outside that phrase the noun is rare, so most modern sentences use pique as a verb and keep the noun for this one idiom.

Do you ever struggle to capture someone’s interest or curiosity with your writing? If so, you may want to incorporate the word “pique” into your sentences. “Pique” means to stimulate or arouse interest, curiosity, or attention.

When you use “pique” in an example sentence, you are effectively drawing the reader in and sparking their interest in what you have to say. This word has the power to engage readers and make your writing more captivating.

7 Examples Of Pique Used In a Sentence For Kids

• The colorful toy pique the baby’s interest.
• The delicious smell of cookies will pique your appetite.
• The bright rainbow in the sky will pique your curiosity.
• The loud sound of thunder might pique your fear.
• The cute puppy might pique your desire to play with it.
• The beautiful flower will pique your admiration.
• The exciting story will pique your imagination.

14 Sentences with Pique Examples

1. The professor’s intriguing lecture on quantum physics pique my interest in the subject.
2. The upcoming hackathon event is sure to pique the curiosity of many computer science students.
3. Attending a workshop on sustainable living could pique students’ concern for the environment.
4. The chance to participate in a debate competition might pique the interest of students looking to enhance their public speaking skills.
5. A guest lecture by a renowned economist is expected to pique the interest of aspiring finance professionals.
6. The announcement of a cultural fest is likely to pique students’ excitement about showcasing their talents.
7. The upcoming campus election has started to pique the interest of students wanting to be involved in student governance.
8. A workshop on resume building is sure to pique the interest of students preparing for job interviews.
9. A seminar on entrepreneurship could pique the interest of students with aspirations of starting their own businesses.
10. A study abroad program in a foreign country is known to pique the interest of students seeking international exposure.
11. Joining a sports club may pique the interest of students looking to stay active and fit on campus.
12. The opportunity to interact with industry professionals at a networking event will pique the interest of students seeking career guidance.
13. A workshop on mindfulness and stress management might pique the interest of students dealing with academic pressure.
14. The announcement of a musical concert on campus is likely to pique the interest of students passionate about music.

How To Use Pique in Sentences?

Pique is a versatile word that can be used in various contexts to express curiosity, interest, or annoyance. Here are some tips on how to use it in a sentence:

1. When you are curious or interested in something, you can use pique to convey your excitement. For example, “The new movie trailer piqued my interest, and now I can’t wait to see it.”

2. If something has caused you to feel annoyed or irritated, you can also use pique in this context. For instance, “Her constant interruptions piqued my frustration during the meeting.”

3. Pique can also be used to describe a feeling of resentment or wounded pride. For instance, “His dismissive tone piqued her pride, leading to a heated argument.”

4. Additionally, pique can be used as a noun to describe a feeling of resentment or wounded pride. For example, “She couldn’t hide her pique at being overlooked for the promotion.”

In summary, pique is a multi-faceted word that can be used to express a range of emotions. Whether you are feeling curious, irritated, or resentful, pique can help you accurately communicate your feelings in a sentence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the examples of sentences using the word “pique” demonstrate its versatile usage in expressing curiosity, interest, or excitement. From encountering an intriguing book that piqued a reader’s interest to a stimulating discussion that piqued someone’s curiosity, this word can add depth and nuance to sentence structure. Whether it is used to describe a sudden spark of interest or a subtle provocation of emotion, “pique” can elevate the language and convey complex meanings with ease.

By incorporating “pique” into sentences, writers can create engaging and vivid descriptions that capture the reader’s attention. Its ability to convey a range of emotions makes it a valuable addition to any writer’s vocabulary, allowing for more precise and evocative communication. Overall, the word “pique” enriches sentences by adding a layer of intrigue and fascination, making it a valuable tool for effective and compelling writing.