Miffed / noun or verb / miff·ed

Have you ever felt annoyed and agitated by something small that most people can just let go of? We call this “feeling miffed.” Miffed is the feeling we experience when we are upset by ill humor, small inconveniences, or minor offenses. We can use miffed as a noun and a verb in English, though it is most commonly used as the latter. As a verb, miffed represents feeling offended or put off.

In a Sentence

It miffed the audience member when the comedian continued to make jokes at her expense.

It miffed students when they realized someone had canceled their classes for the semester without notice.

It miffed his father when he found out his son crashed his brand new car as he was driving off the new car lot.

Etymology

Miffed was introduced into our language as a noun in 1623. It referred to offensive humor or a small argument. The definition varied slightly, and we started using it as a verb in the early 1800s to represent feeling upset or offended by something trivial. This definition has remained since the change in part of speech.

Synonym

Offended, Peeved

Antonym

Pleased, Happy