plaguey

comparative plaguier · superlative plaguiest · alternative plaguy

1. Causing annoyance or bother; irritating.

   Pleasant it were in Botnahill to dwell. Were it not for the sound of that plaguy bell.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 185

   5 more examples

   I am plaguy qualmiſh this morning, vve drunk ſvvingingly laſt night, vvhat did vve do? tell me the Hiſtory.

   1691, Tho[mas] Shadwell, The Scowrers. A Comedy, […], London: […] James Knapton, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 1

   O hovv I curſed the cenſoriouſneſs of this plaguy triumvirate! A parſon, a milliner, and a mantua-maker! The tvvo latter, not more by buſineſs led to adorn the perſon, than generally by ſcandal to deſtroy the reputations of thoſe they have a mind to exerciſe their talents upon!

   1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXVI. Mr. Belford, to Robert Lovelace, Esq.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume VII, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 116

   "None so deaf as those who won't hear. Now this plaguy old woman will keep me bawling for an hour; it's always so when I'm in a hurry."

   [1832], L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Knife”, in Heath’s Book of Beauty. M.DCCC.XXXIII. […], London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, […] [for Charles Heath], →OCLC, page 119

   He got so frightened about his plaguy soul, that he shrinked and sheered away from whales, for fear of after-claps, in case he got stove and went to Davy Jones.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter XVIII, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC

   “If you hadn’t all been in such a plaguey fuss when we were starting, I’d have brought some pillows,” said Mrs. Beaver.

   1950, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, chapter 10, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe […], London: Geoffrey Bles, →OCLC

   Synonyms: annoying, irritating, troublesome