carp

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2025 is: carp \KAHRP\ verb
To carp is to complain in an annoying way.

// They’re always carping about their boss.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carp)


Examples:

“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](https://bit.ly/3ISitOc), 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.