bickering

1 of 2

noun

bick·​er·​ing ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce bickering (audio)
: 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 2

adjective

: engaging in or characterized by petty and petulant quarreling
a bickering couple
bickering politicians

Examples of bickering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
They are also engaged in constant bickering over the spoils of illicit trade and corruption. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025 No superheroes, just Benedict Cumberbatch trading his Doctor Strange cape for some loafers and some play-bickering with Olivia Colman. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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 For nearly a decade, Johannesburg had been ruled by an unstable coalition of bickering political parties. Louise Dewast, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bickering

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bickering was in 1573

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Cite this Entry

“Bickering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bickering. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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