Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

bickering

American  
[bik-er-ing] / ˈbɪk ər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. 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.

  2. flickering.

    They deliberately hadn’t fixed the bickering light at the bistro, as it had become an iconic feature of the establishment.

  3. 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

  1. the act of engaging in petulant or peevish argument.

    Why all this useless bickering over who's best or better?

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  • unbickering adjective

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.

We’re so busy down here bickering that we sometimes neglect to look up and consider how much we can accomplish when we are at our best.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

And she thinks their bickering can actually be a help.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

There was much intra-Senate grousing and griping and bickering in the days preceding Friday morning’s vote.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

Shots of children too absorbed in their tablets to play with each other intermingle with classic bickering between Tom Hanks‘ Woody and Tim Allen‘s Buzz Lightyear.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

Day in and day out there was nothing but shouts and bickering.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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.