bicker
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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bickers,
present (3rd person singular)
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bickered,
past participle, past
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bickering
present participle
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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
Despite the stress of delivering the “Arirang” on time, the men never bicker or snipe at each other.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026
But they can still take steps to reduce tension when older couples bicker about money.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 5, 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
And here, in Lord Dunmore’s Regiment, the singers meet and exchange and bicker over variations, all eager to have their song known.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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
Believe it or not, Jodie Foster’s relatable dramedy about a family who bickers, sobs and seriously questions why they bother sharing a table is rooted in science fiction.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2021
A village butcher bickers with the postmistress in charge of World War II ration stamps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 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
The Emiratis looked on as the Washington crowd bickered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
As her male opponents bickered back and forth, taking swipes at each other, Porter said that given all the “shouting” and “disrespect” onstage, she was shocked that “anyone wants to talk about my temperament.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 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
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
We three, Louise and Beatrice and I, bickered under the bed for days.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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
Opening on an already wild scene where the family members are bickering at the hospital deathbed of Linda’s mother, the events of “Big Mistakes” escalate quickly and considerably.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
The bickering swelled into multiple voices at once.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
