Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense quibbles, present participle quibbling, past tense, past participle quibbled
1. verb
When people quibbleover a small matter, they argue about it even though it is not important.
Council members spent the day quibbling over the final wording of the resolution. [V + over/about]
Let's not quibble. [VERB]
[Also V + with]
Synonyms: split hairs, carp, cavil, prevaricate More Synonyms of quibble
2. countable noun
A quibble is a small and unimportant complaint about something.
These are minor quibbles.
Synonyms: objection, complaint, niggle, protest More Synonyms of quibble
quibble in British English
(ˈkwɪbəl)
verb(intransitive)
1.
to make trivial objections; prevaricate
2. archaic
to play on words; pun
noun
3.
a trivial objection or equivocation, esp one used to avoid an issue
4. archaic
a pun
Derived forms
quibbler (ˈquibbler)
noun
quibbling (ˈquibbling)
adjective, noun
quibblingly (ˈquibblingly)
adverb
Word origin
C17: probably from obsolete quib, perhaps from Latin quibus (from quī who, which), as used in legal documents, with reference to their obscure phraseology
quibble in American English
(ˈkwɪbəl)
noun
1. Obsolete
a play on words; pun
2.
an evasion of the main point as by emphasizing some petty detail; cavil
3.
a petty objection or criticism
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈquibbled or ˈquibbling
4.
to evade the truth of a point under discussion by caviling; resort to a quibble
Derived forms
quibbler (ˈquibbler)
noun
Word origin
dim. < obs. quib < L quibus, abl. pl. of qui, which, who: quibus was common in legal documents
Examples of 'quibble' in a sentence
quibble
This is a small quibble, though.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You could quibble about some of the singing.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Other quibbles may right themselves during the run.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But those are the smallest of quibbles.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
This might seem a quibble but it is very important.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Some of the reservations were mere quibbles.
Garraty, John Arthur The American Nation: A History of the United States to 1877 (1995)
Minor quibbles concerned modernity rather than problems of taste.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But this is a small quibble about a book of great ambition and power.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But they are minor quibbles in what is an immersive package.
The Sun (2009)
But this is a minor quibble about a brilliant book.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But these surely amount to minor quibbles.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And you can quibble about his arithmetic all you like.
The Sun (2013)
But these are minor quibbles and they miss the point entirely.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Yet it is a small quibble with what is another tense trip through the badlands of human nature.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Again, it seems pedantic to quibble about the differences between strikers and attacking midfielders.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But these are mere quibbles next to the 6 million salary.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But this is a small quibble, if quibble at all.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But on such a satisfying night, that is the smallest of quibbles.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But these are mere quibbles.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You may quibble that I wasn't strictly a tourist.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
quibble
British English: quibble NOUN
A quibble is a small and unimportant complaint about something.
These are minor quibbles.
American English: quibble
Brazilian Portuguese: queixa
Chinese: 微不足道的抱怨
European Spanish: queja
French: argutie
German: Krittelei
Italian: cavillo
Japanese: 取るに足らない文句
Korean: 사소한 불만
European Portuguese: queixa
Latin American Spanish: queja
(verb)
Definition
to make trivial objections
Let's not quibble.
Synonyms
split hairs
Don't split hairs. You know what I'm getting at.
carp
He has many detractors who carp at his old-fashioned style.
cavil
This is not the time to cavil about petty details.
prevaricate
British ministers continued to prevaricate on the issue.
beat about the bush
equivocate
He is equivocating a lot about what is going to happen at the next election.
nit-pick (informal)
(noun)
Definition
a trivial objection or equivocation, esp. one used to avoid an issue
These are minor quibbles.
Synonyms
objection
This objection has obviously been dropped.
complaint
There have been a number of complaints about the standard of service.
niggle
protest
a protest against people's growing economic hardship
criticism
nicety
equivocation
prevarication
cavil
sideswipe
quiddity
sophism
Additional synonyms
in the sense of carp
Definition
to complain or find fault
He has many detractors who carp at his old-fashioned style.
Synonyms
find fault,
complain,
beef (slang),
criticize,
nag,
censure,
reproach,
quibble,
cavil,
pick holes,
kvetch (US, slang),
hypercriticize,
nit-pick (informal)
in the sense of cavil
Definition
to raise annoying petty objections
This is not the time to cavil about petty details.
Synonyms
find fault,
object,
complain,
beef (slang),
carp,
quibble,
kvetch (US, slang),
hypercriticize,
nit-pick (informal)
in the sense of complaint
Definition
a formal protest
There have been a number of complaints about the standard of service.
Synonyms
protest,
accusation,
objection,
grievance,
remonstrance (formal),
charge
Nearby words of
quibble
questionable
questionnaire
queue
quibble
quibbling
quick
quick-tempered
Synonyms of 'quibble'
quibble
Explore 'quibble' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of equivocate
Definition
to use vague or ambiguous language in order to deceive someone or to avoid telling the truth
He is equivocating a lot about what is going to happen at the next election.
Synonyms
be evasive,
evade,
dodge,
parry,
fence,
hedge,
shuffle,
fudge,
flannel (British, informal),
sidestep,
waffle (informal, British),
quibble,
prevaricate,
pussyfoot (informal),
avoid the issue,
beat about the bush (informal),
tergiversate
in the sense of prevaricate
Definition
to avoid giving a direct or truthful answer
British ministers continued to prevaricate on the issue.
Synonyms
evade,
lie,
shift,
hedge,
shuffle,
dodge,
deceive,
flannel (British, informal),
quibble,
beg the question,
beat about the bush,
cavil,
equivocate,
stretch the truth,
palter,
give a false colour to,
tergiversate
in the sense of protest
Definition
a strong objection
a protest against people's growing economic hardship