tiff
Americannoun
-
a slight or petty quarrel.
- Synonyms:
- difference, misunderstanding, scrap, spat
-
a slight fit of annoyance, bad mood, or the like.
verb (used without object)
-
to have a petty quarrel.
-
to be in a tiff.
noun
-
a petty quarrel
-
a fit of ill humour
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of tiff
First recorded in 1720–30; origin uncertain
Explanation
A tiff is a minor, relatively unimportant argument or fight. A tiff with your brother might start over the subject of whose turn it is to take out the trash. It's no fun to have a tiff with someone, but it's usually resolved or forgotten easily. When you have a tiff with a friend, it's inevitably a squabble over some silly topic, and if you bicker with your boyfriend, you can call it a "lovers' tiff." In the 1700s, a tiff was an "outburst of temper," from an unknown source. Some word experts suggest the word echoes the sound of a "puff of air or gas."
Vocabulary lists containing tiff
The Catcher in the Rye
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Never Let Me Go
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Peter Pan
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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.
Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem has said officials do not expect higher energy prices to rapidly pass through and lift prices for other goods and services.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem expressed concern about medium-term inflation expectations, not near-term energy price sensitivity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The seven-member governing council, led by Gov. Tiff Macklem, sets interest-rate policy and ensures financial-system stability.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
OTTAWA—Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem believes time is on his side about making a judgment call in response to higher energy prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Did you mark the beau Tiff of his Wig, what a deal of Pains he took to toss it back, when the very Weight thereof was like to draw him from his Seat?
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.
