quibble

American  

[kwib-uhl] / ˈkwɪb əl /

noun

1. an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue.

   Synonyms:

   ambiguity, shift, sophism, equivocation, evasion

2. the general use of such arguments.

3. petty or carping criticism; a minor objection.

---

verb (used without object)

• quibbles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• quibbled,
  past participle,  past
• quibbling
  present participle

1. to equivocate.

2. to carp; cavil.

quibble British  

/ ˈkwɪbəl /

verb

1. to make trivial objections; prevaricate

2. archaic to play on words; pun

---

noun

1. a trivial objection or equivocation, esp one used to avoid an issue

2. archaic a pun

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quibbler
  noun
• outquibble
  verb (used with object)
• quibbling
  adjective
• quibblingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• quibbling
  present
• quibbled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• quibble
  simple
• quibbles
  simple
• have quibbled
  perfect
• has quibbled
  perfect
• am quibbling
  progressive
• are quibbling
  progressive
• is quibbling
  progressive
• have been quibbling
  perfect progressive
• has been quibbling
  perfect progressive

Past

• quibbled
  simple
• had quibbled
  perfect
• was quibbling
  progressive
• were quibbling
  progressive
• had been quibbling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will quibble
  simple
• will have quibbled
  perfect
• will be quibbling
  progressive
• will have been quibbling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of quibble

1605–15; perhaps derivative ( cf. -le) of quib gibe, apparently akin to quip

Explanation

A quibble is a small argument or fight. As a verb, it means to pick a mini-fight over something that doesn't really matter. "Let's not quibble over price," people will say, usually when they plan to gouge you. It's better to watch figure skating with the sound off, rather than listening to the announcers quibble over a not-fully-rotated knee or the slightly diminished altitude of a jump. Sometimes a quibble between neighbors over two feet of property can escalate into a major feud.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quibble quibbles quibbled quibbling

You might quibble with how we calculate the time value of money — i.e., what is the value today of a dollar paid in 1984, and so on — but overall, the figures are correct.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The lawsuit turns on what laypeople might consider a minor quibble: who is responsible for the equipment connecting the city Department of Water and Power’s electrical grid to the people mover.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

People may want to quibble with me about this, but I believe marinated beans occupy a category adjacent to, yet ontologically distinct from, bean salad.

From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026

The band, expanded to include touring keyboardist Loren Gold, seemed exhilarated, if a little stiff at times, a first-night quibble that will surely self-correct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

A quibble arose concerning the phrase “break out.”

From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

Forget the quibbles about not being pleasing on the eye or too many set-pieces.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

While some of the quibbles with ServiceNow’s latest earnings are more company-specific, including margin impacts related to recent deal closures, other aspects may have wider implications for the sector.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026

Next, the FDA quibbles that patients who had every tumor injected had higher remission rates than those who had only some.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

Despite my quibbles with how her character reacts when things really go awry, Kiri’s Evy has a clarity of purpose that holds our attention despite not having that much to do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

This attitude was reinforced over the next few years, when a succession of critics, clearly Newton’s intellectual inferiors, raised a host of quibbles about his work, which showed their own ignorance more than anything else.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Warsh quibbled with the framing and retreated to a milder version of his earlier argument, describing the current moment as “the most disruptive moment in modern economic history.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

Close hasn’t quibbled with her team’s seeding despite its impressive 31-1 regular-season record against a loaded schedule.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

Other experts have quibbled with certain details, questioning the plausibility of a “bolt from the blue” attack or noting that the U.S. would almost certainly launch many more interceptors.

From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026

"They sent the money right out. They never quibbled anything, they've been brilliant."

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024

Danny and Joe chattered, quibbled, and stuffed their mouths, oblivious to the tension in the air.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Semantics are more important than they may seem; it’s not just about quibbling over language.

From Salon ● May 8, 2026

During his testimony and cross-examination on Tuesday and Wednesday, he looked petty and pugilistic, offering answers inconsistent with his deposition and quibbling with defense attorney William Savitt over yes-or-no questions for hours.

From Slate ● Apr. 30, 2026

It was a mistake to think that you could give the beach cottage to these quibbling brothers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

But she dismissed arguments that regular sugar is less processed as "completely quibbling", noting that both products require stripping out fibre and other nutritional benefits.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2025

“There could be no quibbling with a request of yours, no matter who delivered it. We’re here to serve, not to question.”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• bicker
• carp
• spar
• squabble
• waffle
• wrangle