quibbling

[kwib-ling]

adjective

1. characterized by or consisting of quibbles; carping; niggling.

   quibbling debates.

noun

1. the act of a person who quibbles.

2. an instance of quibbling.

   a relationship marked by frequent quibblings.

Other Word Forms

• quibblingly adverb
• unquibbling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quibbling¹

First recorded in 1650–60; quibble + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

But she dismissed arguments that regular sugar is less processed as "completely quibbling", noting that both products require stripping out fibre and other nutritional benefits.

From BBC

Yet quibbling would seem as tweedy as arguing that the film is peddling both nostalgia and anemoia — a longing for an era one never knew firsthand.

From Los Angeles Times

For much of the production, directed by George C. Wolfe, I was quibbling and quarreling with the reigning queen of Broadway.

From Los Angeles Times

But instead of grounding its drones and silencing its guns, it's quibbling over how a still non-existent ceasefire might be monitored.

From BBC

The ongoing quibbling over whether "The Bear" is a comedy or a drama received a new splash of accelerant when the FX series landed 23 Emmy Award nominations on Wednesday.

From Salon