English speakers have tagged fearful whiners querulous since late medieval times. The Middle English form of the word, querelose, was an adaptation of the Latin adjective, querulus, which in turn evolved from the Latin verb queri, meaning "to complain." Queri is also an ancestor of the English words quarrel and quarrelsome, but it isn't an ancestor of the noun query (meaning "question"). No need to complain that we're being coy; we're happy to let you know that query descends from the Latin verb quaerere, meaning "to ask."
car trips that were frequently spoiled by a couple of querulous passengers in the back
Recent Examples on the WebToday 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 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 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 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 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 But were senior party figures to try this, Mr. Johnson might threaten to call a snap general election, preferring his chances of winning a contest among voters to one among his querulous lawmakers.New York Times, 7 June 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 But with her voice querulous rather than grounded, Adams appears weightless. David Benedict, Variety, 1 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English querelose, from Latin querulus, from queri to complain