bicker
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to engage in petulant or peevish argument; wrangle.
The two were always bickering.
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Literary. to rush or make a rushing sound, as water.
We first heard and then saw the stream bickering down the valley.
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The sun bickered through the trees.
noun
noun
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any wooden dish or bowl, especially a wooden porridge bowl.
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Obsolete. a wooden drinking cup.
verb
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to argue over petty matters; squabble
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poetic
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(esp of a stream) to run quickly
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to flicker; glitter
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noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bickersimple
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bickerssimple
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have bickeredperfect
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has bickeredperfect
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am bickeringprogressive
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are bickeringprogressive
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is bickeringprogressive
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have been bickeringperfect progressive
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has been bickeringperfect progressive
Past
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bickeredsimple
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had bickeredperfect
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was bickeringprogressive
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were bickeringprogressive
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had been bickeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bicker1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bikeren; origin unknown
Origin of bicker2
1300–50; Middle English biker beaker
Explanation
When you bicker, you argue in a petty way, like two kids squabbling in the backseat on a long car trip, or politicians taking cheap shots at each other but avoiding discussion of important issues. It's impossible to bicker in a dignified way, as the word always suggests pettiness and an unpleasant experience for anyone within earshot. If, for instance, you've listened for years to your ill-tempered aunt from Boise bicker with your uncle from Dubuque over how the Thanksgiving turkey should be carved, you might want to book a trip to Tierra del Fuego and avoid the holiday altogether.
Vocabulary lists containing bicker
The Outsiders
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Nothing But the Truth
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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.
See Examples For:
A lot of that was gassy rambling just to fill the air—it was painful to listen to shows that usually bicker about bad trades and general managers start soberly inveighing like journalism tribunals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
But they can still take steps to reduce tension when older couples bicker about money.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 2026
Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel has Dr. Frankenstein bicker with his creature about her potential existence before deciding against it in fear that “she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
"While Americans bicker, our rivals are studying David's every move," billionaire Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff chimed in.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Usually when we’re together, he and my mom just bicker.
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
At times his wounded masculinity borders on the pathetic, particularly when he bickers with Maya, who exudes the infinite patience that only comes with a long, loving companionship.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
The Palace of Westminster sits in a state of dangerous decay, with chunks of masonry tumbling off its walls, as Parliament bickers over a renovation that could take decades and cost more than $20 billion.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 27, 2022
Hence his decision to insinuate himself into “Riccardino” as “Author,” who periodically bickers with his own creation, Montalbano, about where the story is going and how the case should be solved.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 7, 2021
Then there are the never-ending bar bickers over who was better — say, the late Henry Aaron or Willie Mays?
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2021
Grass cools the earth, but it also bickers with me over water.
From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate
When his daughters bickered in the past, he’d want to “give them advice or de-escalate their conflict.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
That same month, Trump made an unusual visit to the construction site during which the two men, clad in hard hats, bickered over the price tag for the makeover.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
Heavyweight Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva said Frazer Clarke is "fighting for his career", while Clarke questioned TKV's previous injury as they bickered at a tense news conference.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
My grandmother and her sister bickered over everything their whole lives, so I think their mother knew better than to leave it to them to decide things.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025
They bickered, and we heard them retreat over the roofs.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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
I was pretty sure we wouldn’t get approved if our family was bickering.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
