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
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 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
Verb
The set-piece of Jim and Huck telling their stories also lets Walker and Anderson have some fun with the two old coots bickering over details, each armed with the stubborn certainty of long years. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the hyper-observant Sherlock Holmes, who teams up with his flatmate, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), to solve particularly challenging cases and face classic foes like Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott in a breakout role), all while bickering with each other. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bicker 

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 5 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on bicker

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!