bicker

1 of 2

noun

bick·​er ˈbi-kər How to pronounce bicker (audio)
1
: petulant quarreling : altercation
2
: a sound of or as if of bickering

bicker

2 of 2

verb

bickered; bickering ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce bicker (audio)

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
bickerer noun

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
Meanwhile, Esmeralda bickers with her daughter Jacqueline (Tenley Stitzer), who’s terrified of nuclear war and obsessed with rocker David Lee Roth. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024 In the Season 12 trailer, Larry bickers with his usual combatants — Cheryl Hines, Richard Lewis, Ted Danson and of course Susie Essman — as well as a slew of guest stars including Dan Levy, Sean Hayes, Vince Vaughn and Tracey Ullman, who reprises her role as City Councilwoman Irma Kostroski. Anna Tingley, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024 In the California mountain hamlet of Dunsmuir (likewise the setting of Hall’s 2022 directorial debut), Sam struggles to sell a house and bickers with a deadbeat husband named Travis, both of them turning to booze to cope. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024 Although Newsom sometimes bickers with unions, maintaining a close relationship with labor is imperative for Democratic governors in California. Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023 As the frosty Rose and flippant Teddy bicker, bond and inch closer to literal death along their morbid journey, Parker and Kohli shine in meaty leading roles that feel long overdue. Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2022 As a couple whose destination wedding is interrupted by hostage-taking pirate-terrorists, the two bicker and banter with classic screwball brio, with a love-hate rapport that is both delightful and effortlessly convincing. Elise Brisco, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2023 Anthropologists bicker over these classifications, so slightly different names are used by different researchers. Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2019 Accordingly, with a few deft musical gestures, the couples bicker, get back together, break up. Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2022
Verb
Instead, the dressing room has gone full man cave: there are swords on the wall, a guitar in the corner, her personal items are shoved into a box, and SNL cast members Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker are bickering over video games on a grimy couch. Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024 For their part, European nations have struggled to maintain unity, bickering over what kind of equipment to provide and whether to consider sending troops into Ukraine. Samy Adghirni, Fortune Europe, 15 Mar. 2024 Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette plays the bickering mom and dad, Steve Carell is the suicidal gay uncle, and Alan Arkin steals the movie as the coolest grandpa ever. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Instead, bickering over policy demands pushed the federal government to the brink of a shutdown again, necessitating another stopgap spending bill — the third since September — to buy more time. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The First Amendment and the Second have forever been tricky, bickering bedfellows. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term The attack also takes place against the ongoing backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and already U.S. and Russian officials appear to be bickering over any theoretical or potential connection. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 Ukraine's weary military remains starved for weapons and ammunition while U.S. lawmakers bicker over funding. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 As the team gets to work solving Ducky’s final case, we’re treated to a number of memories: Ducky and Palmer on the run in the wilderness, bickering over who should hold the firearm. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bicker.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bicker was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bicker

Cite this Entry

“Bicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bicker. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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

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