bicker

1 of 2

noun

bick·​er ˈbi-kər 

1

: petulant quarreling : altercation

2

: a sound of or as if of bickering

bicker

2 of 2

verb

bickered; bickering ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to engage in a petulant or petty quarrel

bickering over money

2

a

: to move with a rapidly repeated noise

a bickering stream

b

: quiver, flicker

bickerer

ˈbi-kə-rər 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• altercation
• argle-bargle [chiefly British]
• argument
• argy-bargy [chiefly British]
• battle royal
• brawl
• contretemps
• controversy
• cross fire
• disagreement
• dispute
• donnybrook
• falling-out
• fight
• hassle
• imbroglio
• kickup
• misunderstanding
• quarrel
• rhubarb
• row
• scrap
• set-to
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

Verb

• altercate
• argue
• argufy
• brabble
• brawl
• controvert
• dispute
• fall out
• fight
• hassle
• jar
• quarrel
• quibble
• row
• scrap
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

Examples of bicker in a Sentence

Noun

after a prolonged bicker, they finally managed to find a movie that both of them were interested in seeing

Verb

She is always bickering with her mother.

They bickered about how to decorate the room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Hussein family bickers about which MENA ethnicities are better than others. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025

Better to follow the West German example and achieve full NATO membership for independent Ukraine than to watch essential U.S. support dwindle as Congress bickers and Trump’s reelection odds increase. —M. E. Sarotte, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2024

Verb

But if Trump follows through on his intent to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, that may leave Israel and Turkey to bicker over the country without adult supervision. —Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2025

Morrow and Turner bickered their way in and out of romance amid the tundra and always called one another by their last names, which was weirdly endearing. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English biker

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bicker

• dicker
• flicker
• kicker
• liquor
• picker
• quicker
• ricker
• sicker
• slicker
• snicker
• sticker
• thicker

Kids Definition

bicker

verb

bick·​er

ˈbik-ər

bickered; bickering

ˈbik-(ə-)riŋ

: to quarrel in an irritating way especially over unimportant things

bickerer noun