Pique
The word pique can be used both as a noun and a verb. The noun form corresponds to a feeling of anger or annoyance, especially caused by someone damaging your feeling of being proud of yourself. The verb, meanwhile, denotes the meaning “to excite or cause interest.”
Origin
The word has been around since the 1530s, with the usage of the noun form registered first. Pique derives from the French word pique meaning “to prick, sting, irritation” and is a form of piquer.
The verb form of pique was also initially first used in the 1670s with a negative connotation “to irritate, nettle, offend and to arouse jealousy, envy, etc. in a slight degree.” The softened meaning “to stimulate, excite,” which is now largely associated with the verb form of the word, has been in use since the 1690s.
Usage
The teacher piqued the student’s interest by giving real-life examples for every topic taught.
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