querulous

American  

[kwer-uh-luhs, kwer-yuh-] / ˈkwɛr ə ləs, ˈkwɛr yə- /

adjective

1. full of complaints; complaining.

   Synonyms:

   discontented, carping, testy, petulant

   Antonyms:

   contented

2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish.

   a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.

   Synonyms:

   discontented, carping, testy, petulant

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querulous British  

/ ˈkwɛrʊləs, ˈkwɛrjʊ- /

adjective

1. inclined to make whining or peevish complaints

2. characterized by or proceeding from a complaining fretful attitude or disposition

   a querulous tone

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Other Word Forms

• querulously adverb
• querulousness noun
• unquerulous adjective
• unquerulously adverb
• unquerulousness noun

Etymology

Origin of querulous

1490–1500; < Latin querulus, equivalent to quer ( ī ) to complain + -ulus -ulous

Example Sentences

Edward, a World War I veteran, is a querulous man who’s canceled all seasonal festivities at his home.

From The Wall Street Journal

If so, why?—Evelyn’s narrative takes on a querulous, panicking tone.

From The Wall Street Journal

Against a long and attenuated trill of the viola, Mehretu’s backgrounds become a lurid green or mysterious blue and the black lines of the paintings start to look more querulous.

From New York Times

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

Snarky and sometimes rude, the verse drama tells of a querulous prince stepping anxiously into the spotlight.

From New York Times