kvetch

English

Etymology

From Yiddish קוועטשן (kvetshn), from German Quetsche (“crusher, presser”), from quetschen (“crush, press”).

Pronunciation

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• (RP) IPA: /kvɛʧ/
• Rhymes: -ɛtʃ

Noun

kvetch (plural kvetches)

1. Person who endlessly whines or complains.
2. Person who finds fault with anything.

Translations

Person who endlessly whines or complains

Finnish: marisija (fi) French: plaintif (fr), râleur (fr)

Russian: нытик (ru) (nýtik) m.

Person who finds fault with anything

Finnish: marisija (fi)

French: râleur

Adjective

kvetch (no comparative or superlative)

1. Describing a kvetch or kvetcher.

Translations

Describing a kvetch or kvetcher

Finnish: mariseva (fi)

French: plaintif, râleur

Verb

kvetch (third-person singular simple present kvetches, present participle kvetching, simple past and past participle kvetched)

1. To whine or complain, often needlessly.
   • 1969, Is this truth I’m delivering up, or is it just plain kvetching? Or is kvetching for people like me a form of truth? — Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint
   • 2001, Make a commitment, Charlie. Go with life or go with death, but quit the kvetching. Don’t keep us all in suspense. — Glen David Gold, Carter Beats the Devil

Translations

To whine or complain, often needlessly

Finnish: marista (fi), nurista (fi) French: se plaindre, râler

German: nörgeln (de), mäkeln (de)

Derived terms

• kvetcher n

See also

• carping
• cavil
• nitpick
• split hairs