carping

[kahr-ping]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR carping ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by fussy or petulant faultfinding; querulous: carping criticism.

noun

petty faultfinding.

Nearby words

Origin of carping

1275–1325; Middle English (noun); see carp¹, -ing², -ing¹

Related formscarp·ing·ly, adverb

carp

[kahrp]

verb (used without object)

to find fault or complain querulously or unreasonably; be niggling in criticizing; cavil: to carp at minor errors.

noun

a peevish complaint.

Origin of carp

1200–50; Middle English carpen to speak, prate < Old Norse karpa to brag, wrangle

SYNONYMS FOR carp

1. criticize, deprecate, condemn, censure.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR carp ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formscarp·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for carping

“All he gets from Congress is negativism and carping,” says Dallek.
Obama Outlines His Post-Presidency|Eleanor Clift|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was no carping presence, talking about how things were done in his day.
Earl Weaver, Baseball’s Brilliant Antagonist, Dies|Tim Marchman|January 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Three months ago, what was on display was the well-developed British talent for carping, sneering, and nitpicking.
Britain Gets Its Groove Back|Peter Popham|September 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Facebook's answer to its critics is: pay no attention to the carping.
Facebook's Dilemma: Invade Privacy or Go Bust|David Frum|May 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Setting the Scots on a higher moral plane than the rest of us carping cynics.
Lockerbie Bomber: On the Loose, but for How Long?|William Coles|August 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Horace must not be thought of, however, as a censorious or carping critic.
Horace and His Influence|Grant Showerman
It would be sweet to ignore her, even to be strict with her and carping at times, to scold for some error.
Gargoyles|Ben Hecht
Their carping, quarrelsome attitude had taken all the pleasure from knowing them.
Marjorie Dean High School Freshman|Pauline Lester
If The Quarterly was carping and ill-natured, Blackwood was basely insulting.
Life of John Keats|William Michael Rossetti
You can hear the carping critic at any time that you may wish!
Famous Privateersmen and Adventurers of the Sea|Charles H. L. Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for carping

carping

adjective

tending to make petty complaints; fault-finding

Derived Formscarpingly, adverb

carp

verb

(intr often foll by at) to complain or find fault; nag pettily

Derived Formscarper, noun

Word Origin for carp

C13: from Old Norse karpa to boast; related to Latin carpere to pluck

carp

noun plural carp or carps

a freshwater teleost food fish, Cyprinus carpio, having a body covered with cycloid scales, a naked head, one long dorsal fin, and two barbels on each side of the mouth: family Cyprinidae

any other fish of the family Cyprinidae; a cyprinid

Related formsRelated adjectives: cyprinid, cyprinoid

Word Origin for carp

C14: from Old French carpe, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German karpfo, Old Norse karfi

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for carping

carp

type of freshwater fish, late 14c., from Old French carpe "carp" (13c.) and directly from Vulgar Latin carpa (source also of Italian carpa, Spanish carpa), from a Germanic source (cf. Middle Dutch carpe, Dutch karper, Old High German karpfo, German Karpfen "carp"); possibly the immediate source is Gothic *karpa. A Danube fish (hence the proposed East Germanic origin of its name), introduced in English ponds 14c. Lithuanian karpis, Russian karp are Germanic loan words.

carp

"complain," early 13c., originally "to talk," from Old Norse karpa "to brag," of unknown origin; meaning turned toward "find fault with" (late 14c.), probably by influence of Latin carpere "to slander, revile," literally "to pluck" (see harvest (n.)). Related: Carped; carping.

carping

adjective

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of carping

carp

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of carp

Examples from the Web for carping

carping

adjective

carp

verb

Word Origin for carp

carp

noun plural carp or carps

Word Origin for carp

carp

carp