tiff

1 of 2

noun

: a petty quarrel

tiff

2 of 2

verb

tiffed; tiffing; tiffs

intransitive verb

: to have a petty quarrel

Examples of tiff in a Sentence

Noun got into a little tiff about what color sheets to buy for their bed Verb like any couple, they occasionally tiff, but it's never anything serious
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
In one scene, Lorraine Bracco’s Sicilian cook character and Brenda Vaccaro’s Bolognese counterpart engage in a playful culinary tiff rooted in regional pride and mutual affection. Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025 Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia got into a tiff with Grok, the AI assistant and chatbot created by Elon Musk's xAI, after Grok questioned her faith. Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 Caring and protective, yes, but also giggling through a sibling tiff. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2025 As seen in the first episode of season 7, the two divorcees got into a bit of a nasty tiff. Madeleine Marr july 8, Miami Herald, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tiff

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1754, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiff was in 1700

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiff. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tiff

noun
ˈtif
: a minor quarrel

More from Merriam-Webster on tiff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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