WordGarden.ioquibble
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /kwˈɪbəl/
US
- /ˈkwɪbəl/
Meanings
Verb
to argue or raise petty objections about small details
Noun
a petty objection or trivial point of dispute
Beyond the definition
Imagine you're building a magnificent castle out of LEGO bricks, and your friend insists one tiny blue brick really should be red. If they keep bringing up this minuscule detail instead of appreciating the overall structure, they're quibbling!
To quibble is to argue or raise objections about something small or unimportant. It's not a disagreement over big ideas, but a focus on little points. People often quibble over wording in contracts or the exact shade of paint on a wall. Sometimes that level of care matters, but too much of it can be annoying and unhelpful. It's like getting stuck on one tiny detail when you should be looking at the whole picture.
To quibble means to argue or debate over insignificant details, often focusing on minor points rather than addressing the larger issue. It suggests a petty and sometimes deliberately obstructive form of disagreement. For example: "They spent hours quibbling over the wording of the agreement," implying that they were getting bogged down in unimportant semantics.
The act of quibbling isn't necessarily about being right—it's often about finding something to disagree with, even if it's a minor point. Someone who is prone to quibbling might be described as nitpicky or overly critical.
The word is often used when the objection feels too small to deserve so much attention. If two people agree on the main idea but keep going back and forth over tiny details, you could say they are quibbling. In that sense, the word usually carries a mildly negative tone. It suggests that the discussion is becoming more fussy than useful.
You might hear someone say, "Let's not quibble about this," meaning "let's not waste time arguing over something unimportant." Or you could describe a discussion as being filled with "pointless quibbles."
So, if a conversation descends into a series of minor objections and trivial arguments, chances are people are quibbling—focusing on the small stuff instead of seeing the bigger picture.
Examples
- 1
Ordering dispute
We wasted ten minutes quibbling over who had ordered first.
- 2
Team planning
The team agreed on the plan quickly and didn’t quibble about small details.
- 3
Partial disagreement
I don’t quibble with her conclusion, but I think she reached it too fast.
- Patternquibble with + opinion/conclusion
raise small objections to it
- 4
Hotel complaint
Her only quibble with the hotel was that the rooms were a little noisy.
- Patterna quibble with + thing
a small complaint about it
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
No objection
He signed the form and paid the fee without quibbling.
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- quibblenounverb
Forms
- quibbling-ing formverbnoun
- quibblespluralnounverb
- quibbledpast tenseverbnoun