Here's why:
* Verb: "To pique" means to arouse or stimulate interest or curiosity.
* Past Participle: Past participles are used in various grammatical constructions, including:
* Perfect tenses: "I have piqued her interest."
* Passive voice: "His interest was piqued by the story."
* Adjective: "She had a piqued expression."
Therefore, while "piqued" is derived from a verb, it functions as an adjective when used to describe something or someone.