Definition

1. Noun:

   • A minor objection or criticism about a trivial matter: A "quibble" is a small, often petty complaint or argument that focuses on insignificant details rather than the main point.
   • An evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections: It refers to a clever but trivial or misleading argument used to avoid addressing the real issue.

2. Verb:

   • To argue or complain about small, unimportant details: To "quibble" means to engage in a petty argument, often over something of little consequence.
   • To evade the truth or the main point of a discussion by raising trivial objections: It describes the act of avoiding a substantive issue by focusing on minor, irrelevant points.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • His only criticism was a minor quibble about the font size.
  • Don't let a quibble over definitions derail the entire negotiation.

• Verb:

  • They spent the meeting quibbling over the wording of a single sentence.
  • Let's not quibble over who pays for coffee; the important thing is to find a solution.

Advanced Usage

• "To quibble about/over something": To argue petulantly about a minor aspect.

  • The committee members quibbled over the meeting's start time for twenty minutes.

• "Without quibble": Without objection or petty argument; readily.

  • He accepted the terms of the agreement without quibble.

Variants and Related Words

• Quibbler (n): A person who quibbles; someone who raises petty objections.

  • He was known as a quibbler who would argue about the smallest details.

• Quibbling (adj/n): The act of raising petty objections. As an adjective, it describes something characterized by such objections.

  • We have no time for quibbling debates. (adj)
  • The discussion descended into pointless quibbling. (n)

Synonyms

• Noun: Cavil, niggle, objection, criticism.
• Verb: Cavil, nitpick, split hairs, bicker.

Related Phrases

• "A mere quibble": An objection that is trivial and unimportant.

  • That's a mere quibble and doesn't address the core problem.

• "To quibble with someone": To engage in petty argument with someone.

  • I don't want to quibble with you, but your facts are slightly off.

Idioms

• "To quibble over semantics": To argue about the precise meaning of words in a way that avoids the real issue.

  • We're quibbling over semantics instead of discussing the actual policy.

• "Not a quibble": Used to emphasize that something is a serious point, not a minor objection.

  • This is not a quibble; it's a fundamental flaw in the design.

Noun

1. an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections

Verb

1. argue over petty things
   • Let's not quibble over pennies
2. evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections