bickering

1 of 2

noun

bick·​er·​ing ˈbi-k(ə-)riŋ 

: petty and petulant quarreling especially when prolonged or habitual

… said his own bosses, through their persistent bickering, had made his job practically impossible.

—Ronald Scott

also, bickerings plural : instances of such quarreling

was tired of listening to their endless bickerings

bickering

2 of 2

adjective

: engaging in or characterized by petty and petulant quarreling

a bickering couple

bickering politicians

Examples of bickering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Congress is back for a flurry of action on spending and energy bills — and plenty of pre-election bickering. —Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 9 Sep. 2024

But its official opening ceremony was delayed for months because of political bickering. —Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2024

Adjective

Her bit involving the hot-and-cold frustration over a malfunctioning air conditioner is ingenious, and serves as a perfect metaphor for her bickering couple. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024

But the film is more interested in watching D and W settle into a bickering bromance that, at times, seems as teasingly homoerotic as the rivalry of Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist in Challengers. —Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 26 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1811, in the meaning defined above