How do you use "Peckish" in a sentence?

Feeling a bit peckish. I'm peckish. Getting peckish. Are you peckish?

Peckish

Q: What does "Peckish" mean?

Slightly hungry (British) British term for being a bit hungry—not starving, just wanting a snack. Very common.

Slang Term BritishAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Slightly hungry (British)

有点饿（英国）

Con un poco de hambre (británico)

少しお腹が空いた（イギリス）

약간 배가 고픈 (영국)

British term for being a bit hungry—not starving, just wanting a snack. Very common.

英国用语，表示有点饿——不是很饿，只是想吃点零食。非常常用。

Término británico para tener un poco de hambre—no estar muerto de hambre, solo querer un tentempié. Muy común.

少しお腹が空いた状態を表すイギリス英語。飢えているわけではなく、軽く何か食べたい程度。とてもよく使われる。

엄청 배고픈 게 아니라 간식 정도 먹고 싶을 때 쓰는 영국식 표현. 매우 흔하게 사용된다.

Examples

Feeling a bit peckish.
有点饿了
tengo un poco de hambre
ちょっとお腹空いた
좀 출출해
I'm peckish.
我有点饿
tengo hambrilla
小腹が空いた
배가 좀 고파
Getting peckish.
开始饿了
me está entrando hambre
お腹空いてきた
슬슬 배가 고파지네
Are you peckish?
你饿了吗？
¿tienes hambre?
お腹空いた？
배 안 고파?

Pronunciation

/ˈpekɪʃ/

Usage Guide

Context: hunger, snacks, casual

Tone: casual, mild

✓ Do Say

Peckish.
有点饿
con hambrilla
小腹が空いた
페키시.
Bit peckish.
有点饿
un poco de hambre
ちょっとお腹空いた
좀 페키시.
Feeling peckish.
感觉有点饿
con un poco de hambre
お腹が空いた感じ
페키시한 느낌.

✗ Don't Say

Means slightly hungry, not starving
Means slightly hungry, not starving（意思是有点饿，不是很饿）
Significa un poco de hambre, no muerto de hambre
Means slightly hungry, not starving（少しお腹が空いた、飢えているわけではない）
약간 배고프다는 뜻이지, 굶주린 게 아님
British term
British term（英国用语）
Término británico
British term（イギリス英語）
영국식 표현

Common Mistakes

British term—Americans say 'a little hungry'
Implies mild hunger

Origin & History

From 'peck' (to eat like a bird). British term for mild hunger.

Etymology: From peck (to eat small amounts)

First recorded: British slang from 18th century

Cultural Context

Era: 18th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: British everyday speech; Common expression

Regional notes: British term. Americans don't use it.

Variations

PeckishA bit peckishFeeling peckish