squabble
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
- squabbler noun
- squabblingly adverb
- unsquabbling adjective
Etymology
Origin of squabble
1595–1605; probably < Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect skvabbel a quarrel, gossip, Norwegian dialect skvabba to prattle
Explanation
A squabble is a fight but not necessarily a serious one. When we squabble, we have a little argument, probably about something not too important. Do you notice how squabble sounds kind of funny? That's a clue that a squabble is not the most serious kind of argument or fight. A loud, screaming fight would never be called a squabble. A small, silly discussion about something small or trivial is more of a squabble. Friends and family members squabble all the time.
Vocabulary lists containing squabble
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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The Sea of Monsters
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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.
There was a time when the public picked a team in the Murdoch family’s squabble.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
This makes Anthropic’s squabble with the Pentagon over the use of its tools even more disturbing and shortsighted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
And like in any squabble, there will be a winner and a loser.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 25, 2026
The Olympians’ defense frustrated Palos Verdes quarterback Ryan Rakowski, who was ejected with 11:41 left after getting into a squabble with Leuzinger linebacker Samu Moala.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025
He had a neutral, vaguely inquisitive air, and seemed untroubled by this sibling squabble.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
