haggle

1 of 2

verb

hag·​gle ˈha-gəl 

haggled; haggling ˈha-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cut roughly or clumsily : hack

2

archaic : to annoy or exhaust with wrangling

intransitive verb

: bargain, wrangle

haggling over the price

haggler

ˈha-g(ə-)lər 

noun

haggle

2 of 2

noun

: an act of negotiating or arguing over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract : an instance of haggling or bargaining

a haggle over price

Synonyms

Verb

• bargain
• chaffer
• deal
• dicker
• horse-trade
• negotiate
• palter

Examples of haggle in a Sentence

Verb

She is good at haggling.

had to haggle to get his friend to sell his guitar for 20 bucks

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But that will take time, especially as lawmakers haggle over significant tax policy changes that also would be included in the bill. —Axios, 14 Mar. 2025

The weekends-only market quickly established a loyal following: those who love hunting through the racks of vintage garments, perusing the Turkish rugs, delighting in quirky art finds, or haggling over a Mid-Century coffee table. —Jenny Adams, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025

Believing Brandon has a deal with the FBI, Danny tried to haggle. —Natalie Morales, CBS News, 15 Feb. 2025

The easier stuff could be passed first, buying more time to haggle over the trickier priorities. —Cate Martel, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

frequentative of hag to hew

First Known Use

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haggle

• gaggle
• straggle
• vagal

Kids Definition

haggle

verb

hag·​gle

ˈhag-əl

haggled; haggling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to dispute or argue especially in bargaining

haggle noun

haggler

-(ə-)lər

noun