as in restless
given to complaining a lot
car trips that were frequently spoiled by a couple of querulous passengers in the back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 querulous
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
Brian Frutiger’s edgy tenor perfectly suits the querulous Dr. Caius.
—Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2022
Against a long and attenuated trill of the viola, Mehretu’s backgrounds become a lurid green or mysterious blue and the black lines of the paintings start to look more querulous.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for querulous
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
Brian Frutiger’s edgy tenor perfectly suits the querulous Dr. Caius.
—Dallas News, 2 Aug. 2022
Against a long and attenuated trill of the viola, Mehretu’s backgrounds become a lurid green or mysterious blue and the black lines of the paintings start to look more querulous.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for querulous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for querulous
Adjective
-
The crowds were restless this weekend at Wrigley Field, where fans booed Tucker during Sunday’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Both Justine and Archer, at odds with each other initially, find a sense of purpose for their restless energy in investigating the disappearance themselves.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Avi tries to comfort his grieving (read: irritable) mother by saying at least his grandmother and grandfather are together again in Heaven.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
-
For years men have blamed divorce on menopause and said women are irritable and irrational, says Alyx Coble-Frake, founder of The Agenda, an app that helps women track their menstrual cycle to help increase productivity.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Golden smiles for the picture but makes a grumpy face in a second photo, sitting alongside her older sister Sterling Skye, 4.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
16 July 2025
-
At Castle Leathers, Murtagh is grumpy and sulking because Ellen has been promised to another… which Brian definitely did not know.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Frye's comic foil was a grouchy widower played by George Gaynes, a character actor with credits going back 20 years who had just scored memorable roles in Tootsie and the Police Academy series.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Faced with punishment from school administrators, Westman appeared alternately nervous and nonchalant, the former employee said.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 Aug. 2025
-
While most dogs don’t love pills, all dogs love a tasty treat, making these calming hemp chews an excellent choice for your nervous pup.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, the high rate of spoiled votes suggests that citizens are dissatisfied with their democratic choices.—
Mollie J. Cohen,
The Conversation,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Some analysts have identified widespread dissatisfaction within the Democratic base, with multiple polls indicating that a large share of Democratic voters are dissatisfied with current leadership and want new voices at the top of the party.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 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
-
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
Adjective
-
It’s spoken by Jaques, a cranky courtier from the entourage of Duke Senior, living in banishment in the Forest of Arden.—
Matthew Gurewitsch,
Air Mail,
16 Aug. 2025
-
In that context, DeMarco’s gestures at sovereignty feel less cranky and more radical.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Querulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/querulous. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share