kvetch

1 of 2

verb

ˈkvech  ˈkfech 

kvetched; kvetching; kvetches

intransitive verb

: to complain habitually : gripe

kvetcher noun

kvetch

2 of 2

noun

1

: a habitual complainer

2

: complaint sense 1

kvetchy

ˈkve-chē 

ˈkfe-

adjective

Synonyms of kvetch

Verb

• complain
• whine
• scream

Noun

• complainer
• baby

Examples of kvetch in a Sentence

Verb

They're always kvetching about something.

a chronically resentful person who seems to look for things to kvetch about

Noun

according to the kvetch on the bus tour, there was little about Europe that was satisfactory

vainly hoped that his coworker would spare him another kvetch about being overworked

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Yet Abrams still won’t kvetch about being crammed into a tiny whale-stomach set with a camera crew, while a half-dozen crew members surrounding the practical gut, wielding a gimbal, tossed him around like a wet rag doll. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

The Feos Four also spent time kvetching about Nithya Raman, who was finishing her first year on the council. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Noun

Our only kvetch was that the controls take a little getting used to. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026

But Buffett has long listed his kvetches with executive compensation design and practices at other companies. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Yiddish kvetshn, literally, to squeeze, pinch, from Middle High German quetschen

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1950, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for kvetch

• etch
• fetch
• fletch
• ketch
• sketch
• stretch
• vetch
• wretch