pet
noun · verb · adjective
Simple meaning
A domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
pehtIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɛt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
An animal kept as a companion or otherwise for pleasure, rather than for some practical benefit or use.
by extension
Something kept as a companion, including inanimate objects (pet rock, pet plant, etc.).
Any person or animal especially cherished and indulged; a darling.
One who is excessively loyal to a superior and receives preferential treatment.
A fit of petulance, a sulk, arising from the impression that one has been offended or slighted.
verb
Stroke or caress gently
Stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking
transitive
To stroke or fondle (an animal).
transitiveintransitiveinformal
To stroke or fondle (another person) amorously.
To be petulant or upset; to have a problem with.
adjective
figurative
Favourite; cherished; the focus of one's (usually positive) attention.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement
Used this way, pet is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use pet
- “Our family pet, a small dog, loves to play fetch in the park.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.