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to crab

to crab

2 7.3
To complain in a small, repeated way
  • verb
  • /kræb/
  • Informal
: quejarse
  • - Say, are you trying to crab our act?

Examples

Synonyms

to whine
vsto crab
  • Informal
253 2.8

To complain in a high, annoying voice

is similar persistent displeasure but without the high pitched voice
to bitch
vsto crab
  • NSFW
124 8.1

To complain a lot in an annoying way

is similar petty grumbling but less coarse or hostile in tone
to holler
vsto crab
  • Informal
100 8.0

To complain loudly about something you think is unfair

is focused on constant petty grumbling rather than public outcry
to harp
vsto crab
  • Informal
31 6.6

To keep complaining about something in a way that annoys people

is persistent petty complaining but not only repetitive speech
to gripe
vsto crab
  • Informal
25 5.6

To complain repeatedly about small things

is the steady petty grumbling rather than single pointed protests
to bitch and moan
vsto crab
  • NSFW
14 9.6

To complain a lot in an annoying way

is similar persistent petty grumbling but may be less bluntly rude
to grouse
vsto crab
  • UK
14 7.4

To complain about small unimportant things

is the same persistent petty complaining rather than broad criticism
to squawk
vsto crab
  • Informal
13 6.0

To complain loudly in a way that annoys other people

is steady petty grumbling rather than loud or angry protest
to grumble about
vsto crab
10 4.1

To complain quietly about something you do not like

is the same persistent petty tone but not limited to quiet speech
to bellyache
vsto crab
  • Informal
9 6.8

To complain a lot in an annoying way

is persistent petty complaint but not always excessive
to carp
vsto crab
7 7.9

To complain about small or unimportant things

is general petty grumbling rather than focused fault finding
to beef
vsto crab
  • Slang
6 8.4

To complain in an angry way about something

is more about petty persistent grumbling than open hostile argument
to kvetch
vsto crab
  • Informal
6 9.9

To complain often about small things

is similar but focuses on petty nagging rather than general displeasure
to piss and moan
vsto crab
  • Offensive
5 9.9

To complain a lot about small things and annoy others

is persistent petty complaining but not necessarily repeatedly whining
to grouch
vsto crab
1 6.4

To complain in a bad-tempered way

is ongoing petty complaint rather than a sulky attitude alone
to grump
vsto crab
1 4.9

To complain when you are in a bad mood

is the steady petty grumbling rather than general bad mood
to grizzle
vsto crab
  • UK
1 8.2

To complain in a sulky, childish way about small things

is persistent petty grumbling but without the childish tone
to gruntled
vsto crab
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To complain quietly because you are unhappy

is the same petty persistent mood rather than a single complaint
to grutch
vsto crab
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To complain in a quiet, old-fashioned way

is everyday petty persistent grumbling rather than literary wording

Antonyms

300 1.6

A polite remark that praises someone or something

220 1.0

Words or actions that show admiration for someone

Compounds

6 3.6

A small sea animal with a soft body that lives in empty shells for protection

6 1.4

Legs of a crab often served as food, like king or snow crabs

4 3.4

A bluish crab that lives on North America's Atlantic and Gulf coasts and is eaten for its sweet meat

A crab with a soft new shell that people often eat whole

3 2.8

Meat from the legs of a large cold water crab that people eat as a delicacy

3 8.2

The remains of a star explosion that people first saw in 1054 in the constellation Taurus

3 4.5

A small sour apple or the tree that grows it often used to make jam

horseshoe crab
  • Specialized
2 7.8

A large sea animal with a hard shell shaped like a horseshoe and a long pointed tail

2 4.1

A large edible crab with a hard shell found in Florida and southern US waters, often eaten for its meat

2 3.2

A large spiny crab that lives in cold northern seas

1 5.1

A large edible crab that lives along the Pacific coast of North America

1 5.4

The meat from a large Pacific crab, often sweet and tender

1 4.1

A very large sea crab from Japan that lives in deep water with very long legs

crab louse
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A small insect that lives in pubic hair and other body hair and makes the skin itch

1 7.0

A small crab that lives on coasts and digs burrows, whose males have one large claw they wave

A crab that has a hard outer covering because it has not recently shed its skin

A very large crab that lives in cold northern seas near Alaska with a spiny shell and sweet meat

The sweet meat from the legs of a very large crab that lives in cold northern seas near Alaska

1 2.5

A grass with stems that spread along the ground and root, often a weed in lawns

1 4.5

A small sea animal with a hard shell that lives on rocky shores

Cold cooked crab meat served with a sour or spicy sauce as a starter

1 6.3

A sea crab with very long legs and a small triangular body

1 7.4

A small apple tree from Europe that is a main ancestor of the apples we grow

A small tree or shrub with pretty flowers planted in gardens

1 7.5

A small tree that makes red sour fruit used for jam

A star sign shown by a crab for people born between June 21 and July 22

1 3.2

A large crab you can eat that lives in cold northern seas near Alaska and Japan

1 3.5

A large crab that lives in cold northern Pacific waters near Alaska and Japan

1 5.5

A cold salad of crab meat and lettuce with a creamy dressing

1 8.6

A small soft crab that lives inside the shell of an oyster

A sea crab with back legs flat like paddles that help it swim in shallow coastal water

1 8.2

A large red crab from the east coast of North America eaten as seafood

1 9.4

A wild animal like a small dog from northern South America that eats crabs and small animals

A medium-sized tree with pink blossoms and small yellow fruit

crab-eating macaque
  • Philippine
1 8.2

A monkey from Southeast Asia that often eats crabs and lives near rivers

Meat from crabs caught in Japan that is often sold in cans for food

crab mentality
  • Philippine
1 8.2

A habit of trying to pull others down when they succeed because you feel jealous

1 9.9

A small tree that makes tart red apples used to make jam

A small hardy tree that makes sour red apples used for jam

Small wild animal that lives near water and eats crabs and other small water animals

1 9.5

A wild crab apple tree with fragrant pink flowers

1 8.8

A small crab with bright spots on its shell found on sandy beaches

1 2.8

The meat from the legs of large cold water crabs that people eat

1 3.5

Meat from the legs of a large crab that lives in cold northern waters, usually sweet and tender

1 9.9

A small wild apple tree with fragrant pink spring flowers

Bechtel crab
  • Specialized
9.9

A small crabapple tree grown for its large double pink flowers

A South American cactus with stem sections often kept indoors for its bright red flowers

A wild dog that eats crabs and other water animals

A small South American mammal that lives near water and eats crabs

A silvery grey seal from Antarctica that eats mainly small sea animals with shells

cultivated crab apple
  • Specialized
6.1

A small apple tree grown for its tart fruit or pretty spring flowers

A small crab with spots on its shell that lives on the coasts of England

A small crab with a bright, spotted shell that lives on sandy east coast beaches of the United States

A sea animal with a hard shell and a long tail spine that lives on Asian coasts

A large crab with long legs and a spiny shell that lives in European coastal waters

8.4

A small crab with bright purple spots on its shell that lives on sandy Atlantic beaches

A tropical sea animal like a crab that lives in burrows and uses large front claws to catch prey

9.9

A medium-sized tree from the eastern United States with pink blossoms and small yellow fruit

9.3

A small wild apple tree that grows in the western United States and has fragrant pink flowers

A small tree with white flowers and small yellow or red fruit

9.9

A very small soft crab that lives inside shellfish like oysters

A crab that recently shed its shell so it is soft and people eat it whole

A small tree or shrub from the southeastern United States grown for its pretty pink spring flowers

A wild small apple tree with sweet-smelling pink flowers

How Complaining

to rant
  • Informal
72 4.8
to gripe
  • Informal
25 5.6
to crab
  • Informal
2 7.3
to grumble
46 3.7
to mutter
136 3.7

Surface Forms

crab infinitive
crabbed past
crabbed past participle
crabbing present participle
crabs third person singular

Etymology

Crab meaning to complain comes from calling someone a crab (a grouch), so to 'crab' is to grumble or nag like a person who is constantly unhappy.