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
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Despite its importance, many of us still wrestle with insomnia, restless nights or mornings that leave us feeling less than refreshed.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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Children who have experienced traumatic stress may be restless, fidgety, or have trouble paying attention and staying organized, symptoms often confused with ADHD.—
Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
If you are rushed or irritable, say so.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Lorraine beams with pleasure, while Ed registers grumpy disapproval like every dad in every family sitcom ever.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The puns are enough to make even the grumpiest of reporters giggle.—
David Wysong,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Sanders was certainly displeased after the loss to the Yellow Jackets.—
Shane Shoemaker,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Expert weighs in Fain is under a critical gaze and a barrage of criticism, with a watchdog monitor on one side and displeased members charging from the other.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Leading up to kickoff of Belichick’s debut at Chapel Hill, college football, this community and certainly the TV networks were thrilled with the prospect of this grouchy old man turning an irrelevant football team into something worth watching.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Sep. 2025
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When Vivian Powers went to foster a new kitten, she was pulled in by a cat's grouchy face.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Against Świątek, in two nervous moments, one of them on match point, net cords had given her safe harbor.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The district’s disparate parts would be connected largely by two-lane highways cutting through steep slopes of places such as the Modoc National Forest, where nervous drivers must beware of a lack of guardrails.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As Democrats remain dissatisfied with Justice Department's records compliance with a House Oversight Committee subpoena, the Rules panel is likely to resume its pressure campaign that could invariably renew the stalemate.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
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People become dissatisfied with their original plans and pursue other avenues, and recruiters and business leaders now see this as a positive rather than a sign of someone being unreliable.—
David Morel,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Attend the Fiddler Crab Festival Every February over Presidents’ Day weekend, the three-day Fiddler Crab Festival brings crabby fun and community pride to Steinhatchee.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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Her dissatisfaction with her crabby old husband drives her into the same state of amorous turmoil that Vanya and Sonya find themselves in.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Querulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/querulous. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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