noun
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a sarcastic or cutting remark; gibe
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a witty or clever saying
a merry quip
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archaic another word for quibble
verb
Other Word Forms
- quippish adjective
- quippishness noun
Etymology
Origin of quip
1525–35; back formation from quippy quip < Latin quippe indeed
Explanation
A quip — a short, witty comment — can be pleasant, wise, or sarcastic, but usually carries an element of humor. A quip is a witty or clever remark that sounds spur-of-the-moment. A successful quip must sound offhand, as though it were an afterthought, even if the speaker has been honing the statement for days. Dorothy Parker was a famous writer known for her quick quips, such as, "The best way to keep children home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant — and let the air out of the tires."
Vocabulary lists containing quip
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Nice shoes!” read the welcome mat inside the CitizenM Paris Gare de Lyon hotel—a fitting quip since I already knew I would be walking a lot to avoid expensive ride-shares and taxis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
As it happened, the quip was quickly laughed off and forgiven.
From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026
Heard someone quip that we live in an era of kids with face tattoos making Adult Contemporary music and well, here we are with Alex Warren .
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026
At Sunday’s Golden Globes, host Nikki Glaser made a quip about the channel as “BS News” right in front of Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison.
From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026
If I were Lily, I’d have just the right quip for him.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
