kvetch
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of kvetch
1960–65, < Yiddish kvetshn literally, to squeeze, pinch; compare Middle High German, German quetschen
Explanation
To kvetch is to grumble and complain at length. Kids who kvetch for days about never having gone to Disney World are unlikely to convince their parents to take them. When you kvetch, you whine or grumble or bellyache about something. It's an informal way to describe a very annoying activity, and you can also call the complaint itself a kvetch, as well as the person doing the complaining. In fact, this is the original Yiddish meaning, from kvetshn, "squeeze" or "press," which has a German root, quetsche, or "crusher."
Vocabulary lists containing kvetch
English Words Derived from Yiddish
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If so, I ask of you one thing: Kvetch about it, loudly.
From New York Times • May 11, 2020
Kvetch of the day: The menu item that boasts zero satisfied customers.
From Washington Post • May 25, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
