cavil

[ kav-uhl ]
/ ˈkæv əl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR cavil ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.

to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say.

verb (used with object), cav·iled, cav·il·ing or (especially British) cav·illed, cav·il·ling.

to oppose by inconsequential, frivolous, or sham objections: to cavil each item of a proposed agenda.

noun

a trivial and annoying objection.
the raising of such objections.

Origin of cavil

1540–50; < Latin cavillārī to jeer, scoff, quibble, verbal derivative of cavilla jesting, banter

OTHER WORDS FROM cavil

Words nearby cavil

cavesson, cavetto, caviar, cavicorn, cavie, cavil, cavill, caving, cavitary, cavitation, cavite

Words related to caviler

nitpicker, quibbler, complainer, niggler, carper, whiner, pettifogger, caviller, faultfinder, criticizer

Example sentences from the Web for caviler

  • What a triumphant answer to the caviler who could say, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"

    Notes on the Book of Leviticus |C. H. Mackintosh

  • I say these things to teach us to be careful not to join the caviler in judging presumptuously the work and Word of God.

    Epistle Sermons, Vol. III |Martin Luther

  • Mr. Caviler, your voice is harsh and grating too when you get very angry, isn't it?

    A Maid of the Kentucky Hills |Edwin Carlile Litsey

  • Let the real Christian come into the presence of the caviler, stand before his very eyes, and the caviler will not see him.

    Epistle Sermons, Vol. III |Martin Luther

British Dictionary definitions for caviler

cavil
/ (ˈkævɪl) /

verb -ils, -illing or -illed or US -ils, -iling or -iled

(intr; foll by at or about) to raise annoying petty objections; quibble; carp

noun

a captious trifling objection

Derived forms of cavil

caviller, noun cavilling, adjective

Word Origin for cavil

C16: from Old French caviller, from Latin cavillārī to jeer, from cavilla raillery