1. (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered:"he was moody and petulant"
Word Originlate 16th century (in the sense ‘immodest’): from French pétulant, from Latin petulant- ‘impudent’ (related to petere ‘aim at, seek’). The current sense (mid 18th century) is influenced by pettish.