carping 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkär-piŋ How to pronounce carping (audio)
Definition of carpingnext
as in critical
given to making or expressing unfavorable judgments about things a peevish and carping old woman who is not a favorite at the nursing home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

carping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of carp
1
as in complaining
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely someone who carps and whines about everything is a pain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cavilling
to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant carped about the order of names on the wedding invitations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Verb
Should the pattern hold true throughout the long march to the Super Bowl, nobody’s going to be carping about the official headcount. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carping
  1. critical
  2. complaining
  3. captious
  4. screaming
  5. whining
  6. nitpicking
  7. moaning
  8. fussing
Adjective
  • Black Americans were at a critical juncture.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • After the war, Riefenstahl’s career included invitations to film festivals and critical praise, a lovely lake home in Bavaria, and snarling attacks on anyone who questioned her lies.
    — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of critical
Verb
  • Dani has fallen asleep, though only after complaining vociferously about the light.
    — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Lyons said store owners had been complaining about the retail for some time.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025
Definition of complaining
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
Definition of captious
Verb
  • Video captured officers screaming at him to drop the knife, followed by several gunshots from police.
    — Christina Hall, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • His new visions are shattered by an explosion of light and color as, beneath his fist, the green light blazes, the kyber crystal of the Jedi screaming in corruption and cowardice, in fear and loathing—the lies of the Jedi revealed at last.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Definition of screaming
Verb
  • Common signals include sniffing, circling, squatting, or whining.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The floor buffers come out, whining like jet engines in the hallways, erasing over a month’s worth of shoe scuffs that made the place look like the dasher boards at the hockey rink.
    — Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of whining
Verb
  • Ultimately, though, Braun’s priority through all the number-nitpicking negotiations was to stay in Denver.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Just keep an eye on the run defense In a dominating win like Sunday’s, looking for any negatives is nitpicking, but the Cowboys’ run defense struggles are worth highlighting.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025
Definition of nitpicking
Verb
  • There’s something moaning in the background.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The deputies ultimately roll him over before putting on handcuffs as Mull can be heard moaning in pain.
    — Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of moaning
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
Definition of fussing

Browse Nearby Words

carpets
carping
carping (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Carping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carping. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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