bickering

1 of 3

noun

bick·​er·​ing ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ 

: petty and petulant quarreling especially when prolonged or habitual

… said his own bosses, through their persistent bickering, had made his job practically impossible.

—Ronald Scott

also, bickerings plural : instances of such quarreling

was tired of listening to their endless bickerings

bickering

2 of 3

adjective

: engaging in or characterized by petty and petulant quarreling

a bickering couple

bickering politicians

bickering

3 of 3

present participle of bicker entry 2

Examples of bickering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Seeing the two of them joke around gives me hope for peace on earth, and ultimately this sisterhood — though it’s often buried deep under endless drama and bickering — is the lifeblood of the show. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Later, Gillotte, who got hosed on a roughing the passer penalty that had Andy Reid bickering with officials, picked up his first sack of the season. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Hulu 'The Wrecking Crew' Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa are believable brothers – and have quite the bickering bromance in this fun action flick. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026

Johnny and Ben are usually depicted as bickering surrogate brothers, the hotheaded youngster and the curmudgeonly elder; Susan is a pragmatic force, with Reed often lost in his own world. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bickering

• flickering
• snickering