bickering

1 of 2

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 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

Noun

Not to mention the suspense that hovers over who will die, how, when, and why as bickering turns into yelling matches and the truth of the dynamic between Sara and Max bubbles to the surface. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Things are also tough for their friends, Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao), whose constant bickering seems to be an ominous portent for their on-again-off-again relationship. — David MacK, CNN Money, 17 July 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