Meanings
plural quibbles
- An argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint.First known use 17th c.
He harped on his quibble about how the dark red paint should be described as carmine rather than burgundy.
4 more examples
Quibbles […]have no place in the search after truth.
1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLCAs the two railways were to meet end-on, providing a continuous line from Parkside to Lancaster, it would have been expected that they would work together harmoniously for their common interests, but the quibble over the connection strained the relationship from the beginning.
1960 February 28, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Preston—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 96Toward the end of “Galatea,” there are a few missteps: […] All in all, though, these are minor quibbles.
1995 June 27, Michiko Kakutani, “Playing Pygmalion to a Hermeneutic Computer”, in New York TimesEssentially, we want a commitment to no-quibble refunds, without admin fees, if people who have already paid decide not to travel because of the virus.
2020 March 25, “Network News: Passengers offered refunds or switched fares”, in Rail, page 7Synonyms: argument, argy-bargy, altercation, contention, barney, bawl out, blue, bobbery
- archaicA pun.First known use 17th c.
Is it a quibble, or play upon words?
1864, Robert Kemp Philp, editor, The Family Friend, page 541 more example
This is a quibble between council and counsel. The latter word is still used to imply secrecy; as in the phrase, "keep your own counsel."
1870, Richard Grant White, The complete works of Shakspere, with a memoir, and essay
present singular third person quibbles · participle present quibbling · participle past quibbled · past quibbled
- informalintransitiveTo complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.
They are constantly quibbling over insignificant details.
3 more examples
“Oh, if you talk in that sense!” said Mr. Standish, with as much disgust at such non-legal quibbling as a man can well betray towards a valuable client.
1871, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter X, in Middlemarch […], volume I, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book (please specify |book=I to VIII)“I dog no one, Mr. Temple,” I replied bitterly. “We'll not quibble about words,” said he.
1904 May, Winston Churchill, chapter VI, in The Crossing, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, book II (Flotsam and Jetsam), page 314Mr. Musk has shown a disdain toward Twitter’s previous corporate culture. He has quibbled with the number of bird references in the company’s internal team names and products.
2023 July 24, Ryan Mac, Tiffany Hsu, “From Twitter to X: Elon Musk Begins Erasing an Iconic Internet Brand”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinquibus“in what respect? how?”
- Englishquibble
Origin uncertain. Possibly from quib (“quibble”, noun) + -le (diminutive ending). Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein; or perhaps an alteration of quip. Alternatively, perhaps related to dialectal Dutch kwebbelen (“to speak quickly and continuously, chatter”). Compare also Scots wheebele (“a quibble”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian заяждане, заяждам се
- заяждане (zajaždane)a trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- заяждам се (zajaždam se)to complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- заяда се (zajada se)to complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Czech slovíčkaření, hašteření
- slovíčkařenía trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- hašteřenía trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- banální námitkaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- malicherná stížnosta trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- handrkovat seto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- hašteřit seto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Dutch haarkloverij, muggenziften
- haarkloverija trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- muggenziftento complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- kibbelento complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Esperanto ĉikani
- ĉikanito complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Finnish marina, narina
- marinaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- narinaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- kitinäa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- mutinaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- suukopua trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- kränäa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- maristato complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- naristato complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- kitistäto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
French argutie, chicaner
- argutiea trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- chicanerto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- ergoterto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- chinoiserto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- chipoterto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- pinaillerto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
German kleinliche Kritik, Spitzfindigkeit
- kleinliche Kritika trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- Spitzfindigkeita trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- Haarspaltereia trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- herumstreitento complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- kleinlich seinto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Hungarian szőrszálhasogatás
- szőrszálhasogatása trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
Italian cavillo, cavillare
- cavilloa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- cavillareto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Latin cavillari
- cavillarito complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Portuguese minúcia, preocupar-se
- minúciaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- preocupar-seto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- preocupar-se com minúciasto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- discutirto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Russian приди́рка, придира́ться
- приди́рка (pridírka)a trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- придира́ться (pridirátʹsja)to complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Spanish sutileza, argucia
- sutilezaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- arguciaa trivial or minor complaint, objection or argument
- buscar evasivasto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- sutilizarto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
- andar con sutilezasto complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with quibble
Cite this entry
quibble. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quibble
“quibble.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quibble. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quibble,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quibble.
Source: quibble on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.