Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense cavils, present participle cavilling, past tense, past participle cavilledregional note: in AM, use caviling, caviled
verb [no passive]
If you say that someone cavilsat something, you mean that they make criticisms of it that you think are unimportant or unnecessary.
[formal, disapproval]
Let us not cavil too much. [VERB]
I don't think this is the time to cavil at the wording of the report. [VERB + at]
Synonyms: find fault, object, complain, beef [slang] More Synonyms of cavil
Cavil is also a noun.
These cavils aside, most of the essays are very good indeed.
cavil in British English
(ˈkævɪl)
verbWord forms: -ils, -illing, -illedWord forms: US-ils, -iling or -iled
1. (intr; foll by at or about)
to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp
noun
2.
a captious trifling objection
Derived forms
caviller (ˈcaviller) or caviler (ˈcaviler)
noun
cavilling (ˈcavilling)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Old French caviller, from Latin cavillārī to jeer, from cavilla raillery
cavil in American English
(ˈkævəl)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈcaviled or ˈcavilled, ˈcaviling or ˈcavilling
1.
to object when there is little reason to do so; resort to trivial faultfinding; carp; quibble (at or about)
noun
2.
a trivial objection; quibble
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈcritical
Derived forms
caviler (ˈcaviler)
noun or ˈcaviller
Word origin
OFr caviller < L cavillari < cavilla, jeering < *calvilla < calvari, to deceive; akin to calumnia, calumny
Examples of 'cavil' in a sentence
cavil
It had made her radiant, glorifying her substance without cavil or complaint.
Clive Barker SACRAMENT (2001)
Why that should be so was a mystery, but it was pointless to cavil.
Stephanie Laurens ALL ABOUT LOVE (2001)
(verb)
Definition
to raise annoying petty objections
This is not the time to cavil about petty details.
Synonyms
find fault
object
complain
She never complains about her situation.
beef (slang)
She was beefing about what he had done.
carp
He has many detractors who carp at his old-fashioned style.
quibble
Let's not quibble.
kvetch (US, slang)
hypercriticize
nit-pick (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of beef
Definition
to complain
She was beefing about what he had done.
Synonyms
complain,
carp,
fuss,
moan (informal),
bitch (slang),
groan,
grieve,
lament,
grumble,
whine,
growl,
deplore,
grouse,
gripe (informal),
bemoan,
whinge (informal),
bleat,
find fault,
bewail,
kick up a fuss (informal),
grouch (informal),
bellyache (slang),
kvetch (US, slang)
in the sense of carp
Definition
to complain or find fault
He has many detractors who carp at his old-fashioned style.