kvetch

English

Alternative forms

• kvitch

Etymology

From Yiddish קוועטשן (kvetshn), cognate to German quetschen (“crush, press”).

Pronunciation

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• (RP) IPA: /kvɛt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛtʃ

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)
• Serbo-Croatian: čangrizati (sh), njurgati (sh), njorgati (sh)
• Yiddish: קוועטשן (yi) (kvechn)

Derived terms

• kvetcher n

See also

• carping
• cavil
• nitpick
• split hairs

Noun

kvetch (plural kvetches)

1. Person who endlessly whines or complains; a person who finds fault with anything.
2. An instance of kvetching; a complaint or whine.

Synonyms

(person who kvetches): kvetcher, whiner

Translations

person who endlessly whines or complains

• Finnish: marisija (fi), natku (fi), kitisijä (fi)
• French: plaintif (fr), râleur (fr)

• Russian: нытик (ru) (nýtik) m
• Serbo-Croatian: čangrizalo (sh) n, čangrizalica (sh) m, čangrizavac (sh) m, njurgalo (sh) n, njurgavac (sh) m, njurgavica (sh) f
• Spanish: gruñón (es)

Adjective

kvetch (not comparable)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Describing a kvetch or kvetcher.

Translations

Describing a kvetch or kvetcher

• Finnish: mariseva (fi)

• French: plaintif, râleur
• Serbo-Croatian: čangrizav (sh)