Word of the Day
: September 2, 2025carp
playWhat It Means
To carp is to complain in an annoying way.
// They’re always carping about their boss.
carp in Context
“David Fincher and Brad Pitt are together again with the sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood—written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by David Fincher. ... And while I hear people carping about the wig on Brad Pitt—to quote Caddyshack, ‘you’ll take what you get and like it’ …” — Sasha Stone, AwardsDaily.com, 29 July 2025
Did You Know?
Though someone might hypothetically carp about the fish known as carp, the similarity between the words is wholly coincidental. Both entered the English language in the 15th century but from different sources. Like many terms for plants and animals adopted at that point in the language’s history, the fish’s name traces back to Late Latin, but the verb is of Scandinavian origin. It shares an ancestor with the Icelandic verb karpa, meaning “to dispute.” We promise there’s nothing fishy about that.
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Name That Synonym
Fill in the blanks to complete a word meaning "to complain whiningly or peevishly": b _ l l _ a _ h _.
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