Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

quibble

[kwib-uhl]

Example Sentences Origin

noun

an instance of the use of ambiguous, prevaricating, or irrelevant language or arguments to evade a point at issue.

the general use of such arguments.

petty or carping criticism; a minor objection.

verb (used without object)

to equivocate.

to carp; cavil.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Quibble is one of our favorite verbs.

So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

to flee; abscond:

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Origin:
1605–15; perhaps derivative (compare -le) of quib gibe, apparently akin to quip

Related forms

quib·bler, noun

out·quib·ble, verb (used with object), -bled, -bling.

Synonyms
1. evasion, equivocation, sophism, shift, ambiguity.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To quibble

Example Sentences

Whether the long-predicted double dip is looming or has already arrived is a quibble of semantics.

Sowell is more eager to skewer intellectuals than quibble over definitions.

These kind backers rarely quibble over the network's content.

EXPAND

Whether the long-predicted double dip is looming or has already arrived is a quibble of semantics.

Sowell is more eager to skewer intellectuals than quibble over definitions.

These kind backers rarely quibble over the network's content.

Historians quibble over details of the original library's demise.

Some might say the rear guard, but let's not quibble.

While you can quibble on moral grounds it won't convince a judge.

The failure to hit the target might seem a quibble given the big decline in the number of poor children.

That's arguably a pretty vague mission, but the committee members were too busy agreeing with the speakers to quibble.

My quibble is with those who use theirs for long conversations, whether business or social.

My quibble is that the author underestimates the odds of the next step in the process.

Egalitarians quibble that the bulk of the money ends up with rich well-supported clubs.

But this is a minor quibble easily overlooked once the tunes begin to roll.

All right, this is a quibble over a small place with multiple personalities.

No matter how good each is at the math, the other has some quibble about data, methods and interpretation.

Some might quibble with the figures, but nobody seriously disputes the argument.

My only quibble with the book is, it fails to condemn the guilty in sufficient terms.

My other quibble may seem petty, but the lead couple are a little too daytime-soap polished, from head to toe.

One may quibble with the details of the policies here.

Let's not even quibble about the reasons: an unexpected sale, a had-to-have bottle, a case.

Might quibble with some details but to know that they were attempting to temporarily cap the well clears up a lot of confusion.

On that he will carry with him a good many readers, even those who might be inclined to quibble with his views on.

Why quibble about degrees of instability, when we're all in need of some stability right now.

Even the snootiest design snob wouldn't quibble with those choices.

But you will hardly quibble over the flaws in this hypnotic moonstone of a novel.

Either you quibble with his definition-or you are an immensely optimistic bunch.

Our only quibble would be that he may not have gone far enough.

Even if there were no religions people would still commit atrocities and would always find something to quibble over.

My only quibble was that it was not as absorbent as some of the other mops.

But you cannot quibble with the results in the countries that have introduced them.

One might quibble with a few of the author's choices.

Sure, there are bits of dramaturgy you can quibble with in this.

Dance music is no place to quibble over authorship.

IN time, we'd get to the pastrami sandwich, and we'd quibble over its height and quarrel about condiments.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

quibble (ˈkwɪb^əl)

—vb
1.	to make trivial objections; prevaricate
2.	archaic to play on words; pun

—n
3.	a trivial objection or equivocation, esp one used to avoid an issue
4.	archaic a pun

[C17: probably from obsolete quib, perhaps from Latin quibus (from quī who, which), as used in legal documents, with reference to their obscure phraseology]

'quibbler

—n

'quibbling

—*adj*, —n

'quibblingly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

quibble

1611, "a pun, a play on words," probably a dim. of quib "evasion of point at issue" (c.1550), from L. quibus "by what (things)?," dative and ablative plural of quid "what," neut. of quis (see who). The word's overuse in legal jargon supposedly gave it the association with trivial

EXPAND

argument. Meaning "equivocation, evasion of the point" is attested from 1670. The verb in this sense is from 1656.

COLLAPSE

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for quibble?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

quibbling quillet quip quirk sophisticate

Matching Quote

"A quibble is to Shakespeare what luminous vapours are to the traveller: he follows it at all adventures; it is sure to lead him out of his way and sure to engulf him in the mire."

-Samuel Johnson

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help