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querulous - 4 dictionary results

quer⋅u⋅lous

  [kwer-uh-luhs, kwer-yuh-]
Use querulous in a Sentence
–adjective
1. full of complaints; complaining.
2. characterized by or uttered in complaint; peevish: a querulous tone; constant querulous reminders of things to be done.
Origin:
1490–1500; < L querulus, equiv. to quer(ī) to complain + -ulus -ulous

Related forms:
quer⋅u⋅lous⋅ly, adverb
quer⋅u⋅lous⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1, 2. petulant, testy; caviling, carping, discontented.

Antonyms:
1. contented.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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quer·u·lous   (kwěr'ə-ləs, kwěr'yə-)   
adj.  
  1. Given to complaining; peevish.
  2. Expressing a complaint or grievance; grumbling: a querulous voice; querulous comments.

[Middle English querulose, litigious, quarrelsome, from Old French querelos, from Late Latin querulōsus, querulous, from Latin querulus, from querī, to complain; see kwes- in Indo-European roots.]
quer'u·lous·ly adv., quer'u·lous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Querulous

Quer"u*lous\, a. [L. querulus and querulosus, fr. queri to complain. Cf. Cry, v., Quarrel a brawl, Quarrelous.]

1. Given to quarreling; quarrelsome. [Obs.] --land.

2. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining; disposed to murmur; as, a querulous man or people.

Enmity can hardly be more annoying that querulous, jealous, exacting fondness. --Macaulay.

3. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining; as, a querulous tone of voice.

Syn: Complaining; bewailing; lamenting; whining; mourning; murmuring; discontented; dissatisfied. -- Quer"u*lous*ly, adv. -- Quer"u*lous*ness, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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querulous 
c.1500, from O.Fr. querelos, from L.L. querulosus, from L. querulus "full of complaints, complaining," from queri "to complain." Retains the original vowel of quarrel (1).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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