- present participle of bicker.
bickering
Americanadjective
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arguing petulantly or peevishly; wrangling or quarreling.
To raise their daughter properly, the bickering pair must set aside their differences and work on their parenting skills.
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flickering.
They deliberately hadn’t fixed the bickering light at the bistro, as it had become an iconic feature of the establishment.
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Literary. rushing or making a rushing sound, as water.
The two flutes accompanied by piano sounded like two chirping birds chasing each other above a bickering stream.
noun
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the act of engaging in petulant or peevish argument.
Why all this useless bickering over who's best or better?
-
the act of flickering.
If you’re bothered by the constant bickering of the malfunction light on your motorbike, do a thorough analysis of the wiring.
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Literary. the act of rushing or of making a rushing sound, as water.
Over the roar of the falls and the ceaseless bickering of the rain, he heard another sound.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bickering
First recorded in 1275–1325; bicker 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bicker 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Once such disdain for a settlement becomes possible, the SEC’s ability to set a clear standard for future conduct is greatly compromised, and continuing bickering becomes likely after any settlement.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
The outcome had largely been expected to come down to which of the bickering billionaires the jury would believe.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
The actor said one positive from the episode was the introduction of bickering couple Dawn and Pete Sutcliffe, played by Julia Davis and Adrian Scarborough.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
“You’ve seen the history with the bickering back and forth and we have to move forward past that,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
There’d been much bickering over which baby would get to assist us—but then, there’d been plenty of bickering ever since Francesca’s threat to cut me down.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
