MEANING
To argue or raise objections over small or evasive distinctions.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- quibble over wording
- quibble about details
On the page
He quibbled over the wording instead of answering the claim.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- quibble
- Past tense
- quibbled
- Past participle
- quibbled
- Present participle
- quibbling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- quibble
- Present continuous
- am/is/are quibbling
- Present perfect
- have/has quibbled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been quibbling
- Past
- quibbled
- Past continuous
- was/were quibbling
- Past perfect
- had quibbled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been quibbling
- Future
- will quibble
- Future continuous
- will be quibbling
- Future perfect
- will have quibbled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been quibbling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: quibble; quibbles; quibbled; quibbled; quibbling Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character, dialogue. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: quibbles.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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