tiff

1 of 2

noun

ˈtif 

: a petty quarrel

tiff

2 of 2

verb

tiffed; tiffing; tiffs

intransitive verb

: to have a petty quarrel

Synonyms of tiff

Noun

• quarrel
• altercation
• dispute
• controversy
• disagreement
• bicker
• argument
• fight
• brawl

Verb

• bicker
• quarrel
• spat
• fight
• argue
• clash
• brawl
• squabble
• dispute

Examples of tiff in a Sentence

Noun

got into a little tiff about what color sheets to buy for their bed

Verb

like any couple, they occasionally tiff, but it's never anything serious

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While chatting on the phone, McCartney brought up their ongoing tiff. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

The tiff began with a Tuesday social media post on Musk’s social media platform X by popular aviation insider JonNYC. — Kelly Yamanouchi, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Recently, Capifali helped guide the Johnson administration through a tiff with aldermen who legalized video gambling terminals over the mayor’s objections. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

The latest round of the trade tiff between the countries is heating up again, following a new round of Canadian tariffs imposed by the White House last month. — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1754, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1700, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tiff

• biff
• cliff
• diff
• glyph
• griff
• if
• riff
• schiff
• skiff
• sniff
• stiff
• whiff

Kids Definition

tiff

noun

ˈtif

: a minor quarrel