quibble
Americannoun
-
an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue.
- Synonyms:
- ambiguity, shift, sophism, equivocation, evasion
-
the general use of such arguments.
-
petty or carping criticism; a minor objection.
verb (used without object)
-
to equivocate.
-
to carp; cavil.
verb
-
to make trivial objections; prevaricate
-
archaic to play on words; pun
noun
-
a trivial objection or equivocation, esp one used to avoid an issue
-
archaic a pun
Other Word Forms
- outquibble verb (used with object)
- quibbler noun
- quibbling adjective
- quibblingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of quibble
1605–15; perhaps derivative ( -le ) of quib gibe, apparently akin to quip
Explanation
A quibble is a small argument or fight. As a verb, it means to pick a mini-fight over something that doesn't really matter. "Let's not quibble over price," people will say, usually when they plan to gouge you. It's better to watch figure skating with the sound off, rather than listening to the announcers quibble over a not-fully-rotated knee or the slightly diminished altitude of a jump. Sometimes a quibble between neighbors over two feet of property can escalate into a major feud.
Vocabulary lists containing quibble
Fahrenheit 451
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List 7
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This Week in Words: October 28 - November 2, 2018
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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.
“Could some of them quibble that they missed more of yesterday’s rally than they would have liked? Sure, but no one ever went broke by taking a profit,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
As dispassionate buyers who paid cash and didn’t quibble over ugly paint or dingy carpet, they beat out regular buyers without having to outbid them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
The main quibble with this second season is the writers’ heavy reliance on our fondness for the returning cast, which comes at the expense of newcomers like Al-Hashimi or the latest crop of medical students.
From Salon • Jan. 8, 2026
While ministers may quibble with a lack of communication, no issue is taken with the use of Scottish airbases or airports - that, I'm told, is standard operating procedure.
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
A quibble arose concerning the phrase “break out.”
From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
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.
