haggle

1 of 2

verb

hag·​gle ˈha-gəl 

haggled; haggling ˈha-g(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cut roughly or clumsily : hack

2

archaic : to annoy or exhaust with wrangling

intransitive verb

: bargain, wrangle

haggling over the price

haggler

ˈha-g(ə-)lər 

noun

haggle

2 of 2

noun

: an act of negotiating or arguing over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract : an instance of haggling or bargaining

a haggle over price

Synonyms

Verb

• bargain
• chaffer
• deal
• dicker
• horse-trade
• negotiate
• palter

Examples of haggle in a Sentence

Verb

She is good at haggling.

had to haggle to get his friend to sell his guitar for 20 bucks

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The 16-21 vote throws up a hurdle for leaders hoping to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day — but are still haggling over last minute changes to appease not only the fiscal hawks but moderates seeking bigger blue-state tax breaks. —Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 16 May 2025

The ex-spouses were still haggling over money and had been due in family court the morning she was killed, The Hartford Courant reported. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2025

President Trump on Tuesday pressured House Republicans to unify around a wide-ranging bill to deliver his domestic agenda, as party leaders haggled with key holdouts over changes to the legislation aimed at winning their votes. —Catie Edmondson, New York Times, 20 May 2025

The veto threat from DeSantis comes as state legislative leaders haggle over Florida’s finances. —Kirby Wilson, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

frequentative of hag to hew

First Known Use

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1829, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haggle

• gaggle
• straggle
• vagal

Kids Definition

haggle

verb

hag·​gle

ˈhag-əl

haggled; haggling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to dispute or argue especially in bargaining

haggle noun

haggler

-(ə-)lər

noun