Kvetch

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /kvÉ›t͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -É›tʃ

Alternative forms

• kvitch

Origin

From Yiddish קוועטשן, cognate to German quetschen ("crush, press").

Full definition of kvetch

Verb

1. To whine or complain, often needlessly.
• 1969, Is this truth I’m delivering up, or is it just plain kvetching? Or is kvetching for people like me a form of truth? — Philip Roth, Portnoy’s Complaint
• 2001, Make a commitment, Charlie. Go with life or go with death, but quit the kvetching. Don’t keep us all in suspense. — Glen David Gold, Carter Beats the Devil

Derived terms

• kvetcher

Noun

1. Person who endlessly whines or complains; a person who finds fault with anything.
2. An instance of kvetching; a complaint or whine.

Synonyms

• (person who kvetches) kvetcher, whiner