as in restless
given to complaining a lot
car trips that were frequently spoiled by a couple of querulous passengers in the back
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Recent Examples of querulous
The most salutary change was Kelsey, who turned from Rigoletto to Amonasro, and who gave his trademark smoky tone and aura of threat to a role that, earlier in the month, George Gagnidze had rendered merely tight and querulous.
—
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
Brian Frutiger’s edgy tenor perfectly suits the querulous Dr. Caius.
—Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2022
One came across as a quiet, reserved, eloquent, thoughtful force of nature; the other as a boisterous, querulous, troublemaking and sometimes thoughtless and mean force of nature.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022
Today those late, querulous paintings are counted among the most influential American artworks of the twentieth century.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 14 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for querulous
Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
Brian Frutiger’s edgy tenor perfectly suits the querulous Dr. Caius.
—Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2022
One came across as a quiet, reserved, eloquent, thoughtful force of nature; the other as a boisterous, querulous, troublemaking and sometimes thoughtless and mean force of nature.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022
Today those late, querulous paintings are counted among the most influential American artworks of the twentieth century.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 14 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for querulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for querulous
Adjective
-
In Nazi Germany, the regime understood that nothing unites a restless population faster than a common enemy.—
Steven Burg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
-
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From the dramatic adolescent to the unpredictable PMS-ing woman to the irritable menopausal crone, unattractive stereotypes of women ruled by their hormones abound.—
Patricia Bencivenga,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Caroly is immediately affected, glued to the TV; John, suddenly irritable, retreats.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Is Cronin a mad genius, or just a grumpy, old man coaching basketball?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
If your child acts grumpy and tired after school, wait to ask them how their day was.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Increasingly, Anderson becomes displeased with the artificial results that appear.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
-
However, the 311-pound lineman looked displeased with himself following a 20-rep performance in the bench press.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That Utah rideshare driver, however, was justifiable more grouchy.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Flockhart is equally supportive of Ford, having expressed her joy at watching her husband’s performance as the grouchy, oft-deadpan therapist.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Who isn’t nervous meeting the prospective in-laws for the first time?—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Jason Bateman delivers the mundane analogy like a pro, blending sincerity and uncertainty inside his singular, nervous vocal rhythms.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The lower classes and the clergy had always hated the Castilians, and the Portuguese aristocracy and the commercial classes—previously content with the patronage and the economic opportunities that the union with Spain had provided—had become dissatisfied during the preceding 20 years.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Even a new poll by the pro-Trump Fox News network found that 64% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The show followed the destitute Cuylers — father Early, his illegitimate son Rusty, his meth-loving sister Lily, and his crabby grandmother Granny — and their various moneymaking high jinks.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Lucy Van Pelt Lucy is the crabby kid who always has something up her sleeve.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Querulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/querulous. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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