querulous
Americanadjective
-
full of complaints; complaining.
- Synonyms:
- discontented, carping, testy, petulant
- Antonyms:
- contented
-
characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish.
a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.
- Synonyms:
- discontented, carping, testy, petulant
adjective
-
inclined to make whining or peevish complaints
-
characterized by or proceeding from a complaining fretful attitude or disposition
a querulous tone
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of querulous
1490–1500; < Latin querulus, equivalent to quer ( ī ) to complain + -ulus -ulous
Explanation
Querulous means “having a tendency to complain” or, more directly put, “whiny.” Sure, no one can be happy all the time, but that’s no excuse for being querulous. Querulous may remind you of the word query, which means “question.” However, the two words are not closely related. It’s perfectly reasonable to make a query; just don’t be querulous if you don’t like the answer you get. Querulous does share its origins with the word quarrel, which means “argument” — and that’s what’s likely to happen if you complain too much.
Vocabulary lists containing querulous
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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, why?—Evelyn’s narrative takes on a querulous, panicking tone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
The British novelist Hilary Mantel, who died on Thursday at age 70, left a wide-ranging and hard-to-classify body of work that encompassed memoir, story collections, contemporary novels and brilliant, querulous literary essays.
From New York Times ● Sep. 23, 2022
As for his querulous domestic exceptionalism, you’d think they were the first parents ever to get properly ill in possession of children.
From The Guardian ● May 26, 2020
The version she released was much more ambitious, her dramatic vocal performance propelled by querulous strings and surging synths.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2019
Even as he spoke, Wart noticed that the hound music was weaker and more querulous.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
