English vocabulary · C1
Bicker
/ˈbɪkɚ/ · v.
To bicker is to keep saying angry things about a small matter. Both people stay angry, though it is not worth a fight.
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Example sentences
- The kids bicker over seats.
- We bicker about whose turn it is.
Word origin and roots
- origin — unknown
Synonyms and nuances
- QUARREL — have an angry disagreement (Angry Words)
- SQUABBLE — fight over small things (Small Problem)
- ARGUE — give opposing views angrily (Different Views)
Similar words
- quarrel
- squabble
- argue
- wrangle
- spar
Lesson notes
To bicker is to keep saying angry things about a small matter. Both people stay angry, though it is not worth a fight.
Related: quarrel, squabble, argue. Use bicker when small things cause fights.
The kids bicker over seats. We bicker about whose turn it is.
Bicker has no known origin. English used it around thirteen hundred. Small fights can spoil a whole night with friends.