cavil

[kav-uhl]

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verb (used without object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.

to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.

verb (used with object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.

to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.

noun

a trivial and annoying objection.
the raising of such objections.

Origin of cavil

1540–50; < Latin cavillārī to jeer, scoff, quibble, verbal derivative of cavilla jesting, banter

Related formscav·il·er; especially British, cav·il·ler, nouncav·il·ing·ly; especially British, cav·il·ling·ly, adverbout·cav·il, verb (used with object), out·cav·iled, out·cav·il·ing or (especially British) out·cav·illed, out·cav·il·ling.un·cav·il·ing, adjectiveun·cav·il·ling, adjective

Synonyms for cavil

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1. carp, complain, criticize.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for cavilling

carp, criticize

Examples from the Web for cavilling

Historical Examples of cavilling

I have no taste for cavilling or grumbling over events that are past.
Khartoum Campaign, 1898
Bennet Burleigh
But the moment we pass the portal all cavilling is awed to silence.
Northern Spain
Edgar T. A. Wigram
I do think, dear, you are only cavilling and making difficulties.
A Likely Story
William De Morgan
"Shadow-boxing," he observed in a cavilling spirit to his companion.
The Adventures of Sally
P. G. Wodehouse
A man's life was a man's life, and what was the use of cavilling at facts!
Cape of Storms
Percival Pollard

British Dictionary definitions for cavilling

cavil

verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled

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

noun

a captious trifling objection

Derived Formscaviller, nouncavilling, adjective

Word Origin for cavil

C16: from Old French caviller, from Latin cavillārī to jeer, from cavilla raillery

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cavilling

cavil

1540s, from Middle French caviller "to mock, jest," from Latin cavillari "to jeer, mock; satirize, argue scoffingly" (also source of Italian cavillare, Spanish cavilar), from cavilla "jest, jeering," related to calumnia (see calumny).