bickering

American

[bik-er-ing] / ˈbɪk ər ɪŋ /

adjective

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.
flickering.

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

the act of engaging in petulant or peevish argument.

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

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

“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

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

The kids jounced around on top of them, bickering and shoving one another, pretending they were just going for a ride in a pile of junk.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023