quibble

(kwĭb'əl)
intr.v., -bled, -bling, -bles.

1. To evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections.
2. To find fault or criticize for petty reasons; cavil.

n.

1. A petty distinction or an irrelevant objection.
2. Archaic. A pun.

[Probably diminutive of obsolete quib, equivocation, perhaps from Latin quibus, dative and ablative pl. of quī, who, what (from its frequent use in legal documents).]

quibbler quib'bler n.

SYNONYMS   quibble, carp, cavil, niggle, nitpick, pettifog. These verbs mean to raise petty or frivolous objections or complaints: quibbling about minor details; a critic who constantly carped; caviling about the price of coffee; an editor who niggled about commas; tried to stop nitpicking all the time; pettifogging about trivialities.

View more Literature & Language videos

verb

1. To raise unnecessary or trivial objections: carp, cavil, niggle, nitpick, pettifog. Idioms: pick to pieces. See support/oppose.
2. To engage in a quarrel: argue, bicker, contend, dispute, fight, quarrel, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle. Informal hassle, tangle. Idioms: cross swords, have it out, have words, lock horns. See conflict/cooperation.

n

Definition: objection, complaint
Antonyms: agreement, approval, concurrence

v

Definition: beat around the bush
Antonyms: agree, approve, concur

IN BRIEF: To argue pointlessly.

Let us not quibble about the small details of the resolution when we can make such a big difference with the rest.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

For a list of words related to quibble, see:

• Rhetoric and Figures of Speech - quibble: pun or device used for evasion of argument
• Judgments Pro and Con - quibble: raise petty objections
• Speech Sounds
• Opposition, Disagreement, and Attack - quibble: (vb) equivocate, hedge; cavil, carp

---

See words rhyming with "quibble."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Quibble.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - underfundigt, ordleg, pindhuggeri, bemærkning
v. intr. - bruge spidsfindigheder, komme med udflugter, hænge sig i ord

Nederlands (Dutch)
spitsvondigheid, een flauw bezwaar, uitvlucht, uitvluchten zoeken, woordspelingen maken

Français (French)
n. - chicane, jeu de mots, calembour
v. intr. - chicaner, contester, faire des jeux de mots (arch)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Spitzfindigkeit, Wortspiel, Ausflucht, Zweideutigkeit
v. - streiten, Ausflüchte machen, Haarspalterei betreiben

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - υπεκφυγή, σοφιστεία, αντίρρηση χωρίς βάση, λογοπαίγνιο
v. - ψιλολογώ, ψειρίζω, φέρνω αντιρρήσεις χωρίς βάση

Italiano (Italian)
cavillo, cavillare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - trocadilho (m)
v. - usar de evasivas

Русский (Russian)
увертки, придирки, уклоняться

Español (Spanish)
n. - sutileza, evasiva, objeción
v. intr. - utilizar subterfugios, ser quisquilloso

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - spetsfundighet, liten anmärkning, ordlek (åld.)
v. - rida på ord, slingra sig, käbbla om småsaker, anmärka

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
遁辞, 双关话, 谬论, 推托, 说模棱两可的话, 诡辩

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 遁辭, 雙關話, 謬論
v. intr. - 推託, 說模棱兩可的話, 詭辯

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 결말, 재담, 애매한 말
v. intr. - 결말을 짓다, 말재롱 부리다, 어물쩍하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 言い抜け, 屁理屈, あら探し, 言い逃れ, 毒舌
v. - 言い抜ける, つまらぬ議論をする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مواربه, انتقاد طفيف (فعل) يوارب, يعترض‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮התפלפלות, התחמקות, התנגדות מזערית‬
v. intr. - ‮התפלפל, התחמק (מתשובה), התווכח‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.