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

Social media posts captured signs being stolen from yards, accompanied by mounting accusations and online bickering. — News Editor, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

During training, Roseberry would spend the first half of his run talking (and sometimes bickering) with Fins, only to reward himself with a pop-heavy playlist for the second half (Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Rosalía were in heavy rotation). — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 2 Nov. 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