kvetch
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom Yiddish קוועטשן (kvetshn, literally “to squeeze, pinch”), from Middle High German quetschen (“crush, press”).
Pronunciation
editVerb
editkvetch (third-person singular simple present kvetches, present participle kvetching, simple past and past participle kvetched)
- To whine or complain, often needlessly and incessantly.
- 1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint:
- Is this truth I’m delivering up, or is it just plain kvetching? Or is kvetching for people like me a form of truth?
- 2001, Glen David Gold, Carter Beats the Devil:
- Make a commitment, Charlie. Go with life or go with death, but quit the kvetching. Don’t keep us all in suspense.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editwhine or complain, often needlessly and incessantly
|
See also
editNoun
editkvetch (plural kvetches)
- A person who endlessly whines or complains; a person who finds fault with anything.
- An instance of kvetching; a complaint or whine.
Translations
editperson who endlessly whines or complains
|
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Yiddish
- English terms derived from Yiddish
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛtʃ
- Rhymes:English/ɛtʃ/1 syllable
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English terms with quotations
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:People