bickering

[ bik-er-ing ]

adjective

1. arguing petulantly or peevishly; wrangling or quarreling:

   To raise their daughter properly, the bickering pair must set aside their differences and work on their parenting skills.

2. flickering:

   They deliberately hadn’t fixed the bickering light at the bistro, as it had become an iconic feature of the establishment.

3. Literary. rushing or making a rushing sound, as water:

   The two flutes accompanied by piano sounded like two chirping birds chasing each other above a bickering stream.

noun

1. the act of engaging in petulant or peevish argument:

   Why all this useless bickering over who's best or better?

2. the act of flickering:

   If you’re bothered by the constant bickering of the malfunction light on your motorbike, do a thorough analysis of the wiring.

3. Literary. the act of rushing or of making a rushing sound, as water:

   Over the roar of the falls and the ceaseless bickering of the rain, he heard another sound.

Other Words From

• un·bick·er·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bickering¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; bicker ¹( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; bicker ¹( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

And for voters, the bickering has become unbearable, meaning that poll numbers for all three parties have slumped.

From BBC

Bass said she, the supervisors and the homelessness authority have moved beyond the bickering and finger pointing that hampered regional efforts in the past to work on a unified front.

From Los Angeles Times

Such playful bickering characterized the collaboration Gascón and Audiard developed over the yearlong process of fleshing out Emilia and her story.

From Los Angeles Times

Bishop Mayor Jose Garcia, a healthcare interpreter and former dentist from Mexico City who moved here in 1989, said that in Inyo County he has found kindness and grace that transcend partisan bickering.

From Los Angeles Times

Then again, all the bickering, dawdling, and reliably self-preserving ignorance toward the catastrophe nipping at their heels is the point.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• altercation
• argument
• brawl
• controversy
• difference
• difference of opinion
• discord
• dispute
• dissension
• disturbance
• falling-out
• feud
• fracas
• misunderstanding
• row
• ruckus
• run-in
• spat
• squabble
• strife