cavil

verb

cav·il ˈka-vəl

caviled or cavilled; caviling or cavilling ˈka-və-liŋ

ˈkav-liŋ

Synonyms of cavil next

intransitive verb

: to raise trivial and frivolous objection

The author caviled about the design of the book's cover.

transitive verb

: to raise trivial objections to

He caviled the conditions of the agreement.

cavil noun

caviler noun

or caviller

ˈka-və-lər

ˈkav-lər

Did you know?

You must be joking! That's just one of the things you might be tempted to exclaim if you found yourself quarreling with a caviler—and you'd be right, etymologically speaking at least. Cavil derives from the Latin verb cavillari, meaning "to jest" or "to raise silly objections," which in turn derives from the Latin noun cavilla, meaning "raillery." In case you're wondering, "cavil" is not related to the adjective "cavalier" ("marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters"). "Cavalier," which is also a noun for a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship, traces back via Middle French to the Late Latin caballarius, meaning "horseman."

Example Sentences

I don't intend to cavil or compromise. A customer caviled about the price.

Recent Examples on the Web However, the actual interiors of this four-bedroom home are nothing to cavil at. —

Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, 7 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cavil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.