querulous, a.
(ˈkwɛrjʊləs)
Also 6 -ose, 7 querr-.
[ad. late L. querulōs-us, f. querulus, f. querī to complain: cf. querelous, quarrellous.]
1. Of persons: Complaining, given to complaining, full of complaints, peevish.
In first quot. possibly for querelous quarrellous; a certain confusion between the words is also suggested by some 17th c. quots., which at least do not imply peevish or whining complaint.
| ? a 1500 Mankind (Brandl 1896) 46/200 My body wyth my soull ys euer querulose [rime house]. 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. iii. xi. §9 A people..by nature hard-hearted, querulous, wrathfull. a 1610 Healey Theophrastus (1636) 63 These are the maners of a querrulous waiward man. 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 242, I would have no godly man be over querulous, when God hath done so much for us. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 73 ¶1 The querulous are seldom received with great ardour of kindness. 1837 Whewell Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857) II. 149 He was naturally querulous and jaundiced in his views. 1879 Froude Cæsar xxvi. 445 His sons and nephews were equally querulous and dissatisfied. |
b. Of animals or things: Uttering or producing sounds expressive or suggestive of complaint.
| 1635 Swan Spec. M. viii. §2 (1643) 409 The Lapwing..is a querulous bird. a 1643 W. Cartwright Poems, Corinna's Tomb 18 Hither sad Lutes they nightly bring, And gently touch each querulous string. 1699 Pomfret Pastoral Ess. 174 Ye purling quer'llous Brooks! o'ercharged with grief. 1847 Dickens Haunted M. (C. D. ed.) 205 One querulous rook, unable to sleep, protested now and then. |
2. Of the nature of, characterized by, complaining.
| c 1540 tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden) 100 Querulous repetition, as well of late as of almost forgotten faultes. 1642 Howell For. Trav. (Arb.) 19 French..hath a whining kind of querulous tone. 1714 Spect. No. 618 ¶2 His Versification..should be soft, and all his Numbers flowing and querulous. 1783 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 19 June, I am almost ashamed of this querulous letter. 1848 Dickens Dombey xxxiv, She uttered a querulous cry of disappointment and misery. 1874 L. Stephen Hours in Library (1892) II. vii. 225 The querulous comments of old ladies. |