carping 1 of 2

carping

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verb

present participle of carp
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective carping contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of carping are captious, censorious, critical, faultfinding, and hypercritical. While all these words mean "inclined to look for and point out faults and defects," carping implies an ill-natured or perverse picking of flaws.

a carping editorial

When could captious be used to replace carping?

The words captious and carping are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, captious suggests a readiness to detect trivial faults or raise objections on trivial grounds.

a captious critic

When might censorious be a better fit than carping?

While the synonyms censorious and carping are close in meaning, censorious implies a disposition to be severely critical and condemnatory.

the censorious tone of the review

When would critical be a good substitute for carping?

While in some cases nearly identical to carping, critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly.

a critical essay

When is it sensible to use faultfinding instead of carping?

In some situations, the words faultfinding and carping are roughly equivalent. However, faultfinding implies a querulous or exacting temperament.

a faultfinding reviewer

When can hypercritical be used instead of carping?

The meanings of hypercritical and carping largely overlap; however, hypercritical suggests a tendency to judge by unreasonably strict standards.

hypercritical disparagement of other people's work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of carping
Adjective
But the novel as a whole suggests that Clinton is all too well acquainted with resentment against carping critics and burdensome bureaucracies. Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 16 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carping
Adjective
  • Xi Jinping has remarked that relying on foreign supply of critical technologies—like semiconductors—is tantamount to building one's house on someone else's foundation.
    Joel Thayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Bynum made a diving catch that extinguished a critical drive for the Broncos.
    The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In my experience as an outfitter, Altra has always been my go-to suggestion whenever a customer walks in complaining about foot problems.
    Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Miami is awful, and everyone should’ve known it the minute their players were complaining that their joint practice with the Bears was too tough.
    Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • So much of the new sobriety flex is anathema to the captious alcoholics of 12-step groups.
    Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 19 Apr. 2022
  • That a right-wing party traditionally captious about American patriotism did not react heatedly to evidence of Russian interference in US elections is bizarre.
    Darryl Pinckney, The New York Review of Books, 5 Nov. 2020
Verb
  • Cherry breaks a Champagne flute on her own head and runs out of the gallery, screaming that Laura attacked her.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Danielle recounted hearing screaming and people running in the chaotic aftermath of the shooting.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The cats kept them up each night with their incessant whining and scratching at their doors.
    Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In lesser hands, such a question, especially from a young white male who plays guitar for a living, could come off as whining.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That might seem like nitpicking, except this is a franchise that has had the luxury of starting-caliber linemen as reserves.
    Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Still, with star power and depth at all three levels of the defense, pointing out weaknesses is an act of nitpicking at this point.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Julia says, dropping to all fours and moaning amid a pile of straw on the floor.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Ellis could be heard moaning and could be seen lying on the ground.
    Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • This was the mid 1980s and tandem skydiving hadn’t been popularized yet, so his father, Roger, adjusted accordingly by stuffing carpet padding into the leg pads to stop him from fussing.
    Angelina Liu, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Carping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carping. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

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