cavil

American  

[kav-uhl] / ˈkæv əl /

verb (used without object)

caviled, caviling, cavilled, cavilling

1. to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at orabout ).

   He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.

   Synonyms:

   criticize, complain, carp

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verb (used with object)

caviled, caviling, cavilled, cavilling

1. to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections.

   to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.

noun

1. a trivial and annoying objection.

2. the raising of such objections.

cavil British  

/ ˈkævɪl /

verb

1. (intr; foll by at or about) to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp

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noun

1. a captious trifling objection

Other Word Forms

• caviler noun
• cavilingly adverb
• caviller noun
• cavilling adjective
• outcavil verb (used with object)
• uncaviling adjective
• uncavilling adjective

Etymology

Origin of cavil

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin cavillārī “to jeer, scoff, quibble,” derivative of cavilla “jesting, banter,” perhaps derivative of cav(us) “hollow”; see cave ( def. )

Explanation

If your only cavil to your family's trip to Disney World is that you don't like airline food, you're not representing the anti-Mickey side of the argument very well. A cavil is a small or petty objection. Cavil is not a word that comes up all that often. You can replace it with the more commonly used word quibble and still have the same meaning. If you cavil over a restaurant bill, you argue about the minute, unimportant details of who owes what — like whether your portion of the bill is $10.00 or $10.17.

Example Sentences

“The history demonstrates beyond cavil that the founding generation understood that ‘legislatures’ would operate as normal legislatures, not independent legislatures, with respect to both procedure and substance,” he writes.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2022

They talk a lot about how something must be done about inequality and the need to address social unrest, but cavil at the idea they might be a big part of the problem.

From The Guardian • Feb. 1, 2019

I wished the corn had been grilled rather than boiled, but that’s a cavil since I consumed two of three ears.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2018

It is a risky business turning a near-perfect thing into a somewhat less-perfect thing, but it feels churlish to cavil about so much hard work done in a celebratory spirit.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2017

The committee awarded Livingston his doctorate without cavil.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik