haggle

[ hag-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, hag·gled, hag·gling.

1. to bargain in a petty, quibbling, and often contentious manner:

   They spent hours haggling over the price of fish.

2. to wrangle, dispute, or cavil:

   The senators haggled interminably over the proposed bill.

verb (used with object)

, hag·gled, hag·gling.

1. to mangle in cutting; hack.
2. to settle on by haggling.
3. Archaic. to harass with wrangling or haggling.

noun

1. the act of haggling; wrangle or dispute over terms.

haggle

/ ˈhæɡəl /

verb

1. introften foll byover to bargain or wrangle (over a price, terms of an agreement, etc); barter
2. rare.
   tr to hack

Derived Forms

• ˈhaggler, noun

Other Words From

• haggler noun
• un·haggled adjective
• un·haggling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of haggle¹

1275–1325; Middle English haggen to cut, chop (< Old Norse hǫggva to hew ) + -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of haggle¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse haggva to hew

Example Sentences

“Your country is at war,” a Chinese tourist tells a Myanmar jade seller he is haggling with at the market.

From BBC

But the two companies spent days haggling over the penetration rates.

From Los Angeles Times

The impasse came at the deadline for a new distribution deal after weeks of haggling between the two companies over contract terms and fees that Disney charges to carry its programming.

From Los Angeles Times

Owens said another issue is how surveillance prices erode the longstanding practice of having a public price, which emerged when retailers stopped haggling over everything and started putting price tags on their goods.

From Los Angeles Times

Paramount and Skydance have haggled for months over an ambitious merger that would usher in a new ruler of a sprawling media kingdom that includes CBS, MTV and the film studio behind “Top Gun.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• bargain
• barter
• dicker
• quibble
• squabble
• wrangle