Words for finding fault, or complaining: “You just can’t please him—he’s always ________.”
| GRIPING | 335 |
| BELLYACHING | 174 |
| GRUMBLING | 106 |
| BITCHING | 91 |
| BEEFING | 57 |
| COMPLAINING | 45 |
| FINDING FAULT | 37 |
| NAGGING | 29 |
| CRITICIZING | 28 |
| CRABBING | 25 |
| GROWLING | 23 |
| FUSSING | 21 |
| NR | 19 |
| FAULT-FINDING | 18 |
| DISSATISFIED | 16 |
| NEVER SATISFIED | 15 |
| GROUCHING | 14 |
| PICKING | 14 |
| GROUCHY | 13 |
| HARD TO PLEASE | 13 |
| CONTRARY | 12 |
| FAULT-FINDER | 11 |
| RIGHT | 11 |
| WHINING | 11 |
| GROUSING | 10 |
| CRITICAL | 8 |
| MOANING | 6 |
| PICKY | 6 |
| DISAGREEABLE | 5 |
| ON THE OPPOSITE | 5 |
| ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE | 5 |
| OUT OF SORTS | 5 |
| BELITTLING | 4 |
| CANTANKEROUS | 4 |
| CRABBY | 4 |
| DIFFERENT | 4 |
| DISGRUNTLED | 4 |
| GRUMPY | 4 |
| KICKING | 4 |
| NEGATIVE | 4 |
| NIT-PICKING | 4 |
| OLD GROUCH | 4 |
| OPPOSITE | 4 |
| UNSATISFIED | 4 |
| UPSET | 4 |
| ARGUING | 3 |
| AT ODDS | 3 |
| CARPING | 3 |
| CHRONIC COMPLAINER | 3 |
| CRYING | 3 |
| DISPLEASED | 3 |
| FINDING FAULTS | 3 |
| FUSSING ABOUT SOMETHING | 3 |
| GROUCH | 3 |
| OBSTINATE | 3 |
| ON THE OTHER SIDE | 3 |
| ON THE WRONG SIDE | 3 |
| SQUAWKING | 3 |
| UNHAPPY | 3 |
| ANGRY | 2 |
| BICKERING | 2 |
| CRAB | 2 |
| CRANKY | 2 |
| FINICKY | 2 |
| FUMING | 2 |
| FUSSY | 2 |
| GOT A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER | 2 |
| GRUMBLING ABOUT SOMETHING | 2 |
| HARPING | 2 |
| JUST THE OPPOSITE | 2 |
| KILLJOY | 2 |
| KNOWS BETTER | 2 |
| LOOKING FOR TROUBLE | 2 |
| NAGGING ABOUT SOMETHING | 2 |
| OBNOXIOUS | 2 |
| OLD CRAB | 2 |
| ON THE OUTS | 2 |
| OUT OF HUMOR | 2 |
| OWLY | 2 |
| PEEVISH | 2 |
| PICAYUNISH | 2 |
| PICKING FAULT | 2 |
| PICKING ON | 2 |
| PICKING ON ME | 2 |
| PICKING TO PIECES | 2 |
| SOURPUSS | 2 |
| THAT WAY | 2 |
| TOO PARTICULAR | 2 |
| UNREASONABLE | 2 |
| WORRYING | 2 |
| A-BITCHING | 1 |
| ABUSED | 1 |
| ACTING FUNNY | 1 |
| AGITATING | 1 |
| A-GRIPING | 1 |
| ALL THE TIME BELLY-ACHIN’ | 1 |
| A-NAGGING | 1 |
| ANTI | 1 |
| A-PICKING | 1 |
| BACKBITING | 1 |
| BEEFING ABOUT SOMETHING | 1 |
| BEEN THAT WAY | 1 |
| BITCHER | 1 |
| BITTER | 1 |
| BULL-HEADED | 1 |
| BULL-SHITTING | 1 |
| CARKING | 1 |
| CARRYING ON | 1 |
| CAUSING TROUBLE | 1 |
| CHRONIC FAULT-FINDER | 1 |
| COMPLAINER | 1 |
| CONSTANT COMPLAINER | 1 |
| CONSTANT GROUCH | 1 |
| CONSTANT NAG | 1 |
| CONTRADICTING | 1 |
| CORRECTING YOU | 1 |
| COUNTERDICTING | 1 |
| CRAPPING | 1 |
| CREPE-HANGING | 1 |
| CRYING ABOUT IT | 1 |
| DICTATING | 1 |
| EXASPERATING | 1 |
| EXPECTING MORE | 1 |
| FINDING FAULT WITH SOMETHING | 1 |
| FINDING SOMETHING WRONG | 1 |
| FINICKY ABOUT EVERYTHING | 1 |
| FOAMING AT THE MOUTH | 1 |
| GIVES A GROWL | 1 |
| GNAWING | 1 |
| GOT A BUG UP HIS BUTT | 1 |
| GOT A GRIPE ON | 1 |
| GOT SOMETHING ON THE STRING | 1 |
| GREXING | 1 |
| GRIPES ALL THE TIME | 1 |
| GROANING | 1 |
| GRUMP | 1 |
| GRUMPING | 1 |
| GRUNTING | 1 |
| HAGGING | 1 |
| HARANGUING | 1 |
| HARD TO DEAL WITH | 1 |
| HARD TO GET ALONG WITH | 1 |
| HAS A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER | 1 |
| HELL-RAISER | 1 |
| HOWLING | 1 |
| HUFFED UP | 1 |
| HUNTING TROUBLE | 1 |
| HYPERCRITICAL | 1 |
| IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE | 1 |
| IN A BAD MOOD | 1 |
| IN ERROR | 1 |
| IRASCIBLE | 1 |
| IRRITABLE | 1 |
| IRRITATED | 1 |
| JAWING | 1 |
| KICKING ABOUT SOMETHING | 1 |
| KNOWS BEST | 1 |
| KNOWS IT ALL | 1 |
| KVETCHING | 1 |
| LOOKING FOR SOMETHING BETTER | 1 |
| MAD | 1 |
| MAKING SMALL OF | 1 |
| MAKING TROUBLE | 1 |
| MOUSING | 1 |
| MUMBLING | 1 |
| NIGGLING | 1 |
| NIT-PICKER | 1 |
| NOT SATISFIED | 1 |
| NOTHING IS EVER RIGHT FOR HIM | 1 |
| NOTHING SUITS HIM | 1 |
| OFF HIS MIND | 1 |
| OLD COMPLAINER | 1 |
| OLD FAULT-FINDER | 1 |
| OLD FUSS-BOX | 1 |
| OLD GROUCH-BOX | 1 |
| OLD SCROOGE | 1 |
| ON A LIMB | 1 |
| ON THE CONTRARY SIDE | 1 |
| ON THE DEFENSIVE | 1 |
| ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FENCE | 1 |
| ORNERY | 1 |
| PAIN IN THE NECK | 1 |
| PARTICULAR | 1 |
| PERPETUAL GRIPER | 1 |
| PERSNICKETY | 1 |
| PESTING | 1 |
| PICKING AT YOU | 1 |
| PICKING FAULTS | 1 |
| PICKING FLAWS | 1 |
| PICKING ON SOMEBODY | 1 |
| PICKING ON THINGS | 1 |
| PIDDLING | 1 |
| PLAIN RIGHT ONERY | 1 |
| RAISING A COMPLAINT | 1 |
| REGULAR GRIPER | 1 |
| REGULAR OLD GROUCH | 1 |
| ROCKING THE BOAT | 1 |
| SCOLDING | 1 |
| SCREAMING | 1 |
| SEEING BOOGERS | 1 |
| SEEING THE WORST IN EVERYTHING | 1 |
| SEES THE DARK SIDE | 1 |
| SO CHOOSY | 1 |
| SO HARD TO PLEASE | 1 |
| SO PERSNICKETY | 1 |
| SO POSITIVE | 1 |
| SO TICKY | 1 |
| SO UNSATISFIED | 1 |
| SOBBING | 1 |
| SORE | 1 |
| SORE ABOUT SOMETHING | 1 |
| SORE-HEADED | 1 |
| SOUR | 1 |
| SPLITTING HAIRS | 1 |
| SQUAWK | 1 |
| STEWING | 1 |
| SUSPICIOUS | 1 |
| TAKES A DIM VIEW | 1 |
| TAKES THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STICK | 1 |
| TAKING EXCEPTION | 1 |
| TEARING TO PIECES | 1 |
| TEMPERED | 1 |
| THE SAME | 1 |
| TOO CRITICAL | 1 |
| TOO FINICKY | 1 |
| TOO HARD TO PLEASE | 1 |
| TOO HARD TO SATISFY | 1 |
| TOO PRECISE | 1 |
| TROUBLESOME | 1 |
| UGLY | 1 |
| UNPLEASED | 1 |
| UP IN THE AIR | 1 |
| WANTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT | 1 |
| WHAT’S YOUR BEEF | 1 |
| WISHY-WASHY | 1 |
| YAKKING | 1 |
| YAMMERING | 1 |
| YOU CAN’T SATISFY HIM | 1 |
| YOU COULDN’T PLEASE HIM | 1 |
DARE Data Summary by Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.