cavil

present singular third person cavils · US participle present caviling · UK participle present cavilling · US participle past caviled · US past caviled · UK participle past cavilled · UK past cavilled · alternative cavel · alternative cavell

1. intransitiveTo criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.

   I wish you wouldn't cavil, Hilda.

   1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 16, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Gutenberg edition, [Florence, Italy]: [ […] Tipografia Giuntina, […]], →OCLC; republished as Lady Chatterley’s Lover (eBook no. 0100181h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, August 2011, archived from the original on 11 Nov 2020

   5 more examples

   'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.

   c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   The provision, then, which we have here made is no other than Human Nature. Nor do I fear that my sensible reader, though most luxurious in his taste, will start, cavil, or be offended, because I have named but one article.

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume I, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

   Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.

   1913, Robert Barr, chapter 5, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad

   At the Centenary Banquet of the G.W.R. [Great Western Railway] in 1935, the then Prince of Wales (afterwards King Edward VIII) honoured that railway with the title "The Royal Road," at which few will cavil in view of the long record of Royal Specials.

   1954 June, Charles E. Lee, “Centenary of Paddington Station”, in Railway Magazine, page 425

   But their first supporting quotation, which is from The Selfish Gene, includes selfish genes that do have phenotypic effects. Far it be from me, however, to cavil at the honour of being quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary!

   1976, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016, page 368

   Synonyms: be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairs

plural cavils · alternative cavel · alternative cavell

1. A petty or trivial objection or criticism.

   It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil, but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.

   1835, Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion