quarrel

1 of 3

noun (1)

: a square-headed bolt or arrow especially for a crossbow

quarrel

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a ground of dispute or complaint
have no quarrel with a different approach
2
: a usually verbal conflict between antagonists : altercation

quarrel

3 of 3

verb

quarreled or quarrelled; quarreling or quarrelling

intransitive verb

1
: to find fault
many people quarrel with the ideaJohns Hopkins Magazine
2
: to contend or dispute actively
quarreled frequently with his superiorsLondon Calling
quarreler noun
or quarreller
Choose the Right Synonym for quarrel

quarrel, wrangle, altercation, squabble mean a noisy dispute usually marked by anger.

quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

a quarrel nearly destroyed the relationship

wrangle suggests undignified and often futile disputation with a noisy insistence on differing opinions.

wrangle interminably about small issues

altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

a loud public altercation

squabble stresses childish and unseemly dispute over petty matters, but it need not imply bitterness or anger.

a brief squabble over what to do next

Examples of quarrel in a Sentence

Verb The children quarrel all the time. She and her husband are always quarreling about money. I don't want to quarrel with you.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The high rates of violence could have to do with the formation of political units vying for control, which may have escalated local quarrels to larger and more organized conflicts. Popular Science, 18 Oct. 2023 Likewise, quarrels related to a pet or even with health-care workers might arise. Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2024 The only triple homicide occurred on July 3 during a gang quarrel in a parking lot at an afterparty following a neighborhood celebration in Como. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2024 Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 27 Dec. 2023 This stunning reality comes through in his imaginative reconstruction of their quarrel. Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 By revisiting a number of internecine feminist and art-world quarrels from that era, Elkin highlights the disruptive power of representations of the body, even for the avant-garde. Leslie Camhi, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023 Millennial socialism, for all its faults, still notionally held that online quarrels were much, much less important than labor struggles—but the New Right is unashamedly obsessed with meme wars. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 Already, the campaigns in both countries are beginning to echo each other, with fiery debates about immigration; the integrity — or otherwise — of political leaders; and social and cultural quarrels, from racial justice to the rights of transgender people. Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024
Verb
Maliciously or willfully disturbing a funeral, memorial service, procession or burial ceremony. Threatening, quarreling or challenging to fight someone, or fighting. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2024 As recently as the 1960s, China and the Soviet Union were quarreling over the placement of their border and their troops skirmished. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2023 Often there are two birds quarreling back and forth with their raucous rattling. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the film follows David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Culkin), two quarreling cousins who, following the death of their beloved grandmother, travel to Poland to visit the Majdanek concentration camp and learn about her past. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2024 The Rus’ state had become fragmented, beset by quarrelling among its princes. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 In the 1950s, after quarreling for decades over the Colorado River, Arizona and California turned to the U.S. Supreme Court for a final resolution on the water that both states sought to sustain their postwar booms. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 17 Oct. 2023 That afternoon, two men at the Times Square station quarreled in Spanish after one of them complained about people blocking his path. Ana Ley, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2023 The brothers were known to quarrel often, but in recent years, the squabbling turned into a legal entanglement as Sid sued Marty over business dealings and profits. Maane Khatchatourian, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quarrel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, square block of stone, bolt, from Vulgar Latin *quadrellum, diminutive of Latin quadrum square — more at quadrate

Noun (2)

Middle English querele, from Anglo-French, from Latin querela grievance, complaint, from queri to complain

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quarrel was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near quarrel

Cite this Entry

“Quarrel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarrel. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

quarrel

1 of 2 noun
1
: a cause of dispute or complaint
2
: an angry difference of opinion : dispute

quarrel

2 of 2 verb
quarreled or quarrelled; quarreling or quarrelling
1
: to find fault
I quarrel with your version of what happened
2
: to argue forcefully or loudly : squabble
quarreler noun
or quarreller

More from Merriam-Webster on quarrel

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