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Synonyms

tiff

American  
[tif] / tɪf /

noun

  1. a slight or petty quarrel.

    Synonyms:
    difference, misunderstanding, scrap, spat

  2. a slight fit of annoyance, bad mood, or the like.

verb (used without object)

  1. to have a petty quarrel.

  2. to be in a tiff.

tiff 1 British  
/ tɪf /

noun

  1. a petty quarrel

  2. a fit of ill humour

"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

verb

  1. (intr) to have or be in a tiff

"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
tiff 2 British  
/ tɪf /

noun

  1. archaic a small draught of alcoholic drink; dram

"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

Etymology

Origin of tiff

First recorded in 1720–30; origin uncertain

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.

Perhaps most amusing is Mr. Booker’s tiff with Conan O’Brien, who made a joke about the city of Newark.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Levin objected, and their tiff is growing increasingly heated as they bicker online.

From Salon • Nov. 24, 2025

The Australian government has denied the timing of the decision was related to the trade tiff, saying a decade-long department review found the US had improved beef safety measures.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

Back in 2019, Trump’s call caused a brief diplomatic tiff with Denmark, under whose sovereignty the vast island falls.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

Apparently we are not quite over our little tiff of last night.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

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.