quibbling

[ kwib-ling ]

adjective

1. characterized by or consisting of quibbles; carping; niggling:

   quibbling debates.

noun

1. the act of a person who quibbles.
2. an instance of quibbling:

   a relationship marked by frequent quibblings.

Other Words From

• quibbling·ly adverb
• un·quibbling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quibbling¹

First recorded in 1650–60; quibble + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The ongoing quibbling over whether "The Bear" is a comedy or a drama received a new splash of accelerant when the FX series landed 23 Emmy Award nominations on Wednesday.

From Salon

In some places that are slightly more exurban or rural, some people were quibbling with the politics in the sense that people were siding with the folks in the meeting over me a little bit.

From Los Angeles Times

The emails show senior executives quibbling over budgets and head counts while also acknowledging regulatory threats related to their handling of teenage users.

From New York Times

A review of the transcripts shows that there was virtually no carping, quibbling or grousing among attorneys during the trial.

From Seattle Times

Imagine, quibbling over style points in what was forecast as a season to forget.

From Los Angeles Times