bickering

1 of 2

noun

bick·​er·​ing ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce bickering (audio)
: petty and petulant quarreling especially when prolonged or habitual
… said his own bosses, through their persistent bickering, had made his job practically impossible.Ronald Scott
also, bickerings plural : instances of such quarreling
was tired of listening to their endless bickerings

bickering

2 of 2

adjective

: engaging in or characterized by petty and petulant quarreling
a bickering couple
bickering politicians

Examples of bickering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Hot mics allowed How Walz and Vance interact − handshake, eye rolls, cross-talk bickering − will depend in part on the debate rules, and a significant difference from the Harris-Trump faceoff will be CBS News allowing hot microphones. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024 Not structurally, not visually, certainly not in terms of the frazzled dialogue screamed by its unjustly uncompensated cast, who improvised a bickering meltdown in the woods while their directors played mind games with them during black of night. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 30 July 2024
Adjective
There will be no studio audience during the 90-minute VP debate, but expect some sparring and more bickering than bantering ahead of the 2 minute closing arguments. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 Her bit involving the hot-and-cold frustration over a malfunctioning air conditioner is ingenious, and serves as a perfect metaphor for her bickering couple. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bickering 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bickering was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near bickering

Cite this Entry

“Bickering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bickering. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!