EN

Synonyms for cavil

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

nitpick niggle prevaricate

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Carp

carp, chicane

Other

nitpick, petty-fog, niggle, split hairs, dodge, evade, shuffle, prevaricate, equivocate, palter

Noun

1. Quibble

quibble, quiddity

2. Carping

carping, criticism, censure

Other

object

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.

  2. n. 1

    A petty or trivial objection or criticism.

Forms

Plural
cavils → quibbles, quiddities, carpings, criticisms…
Past participle
caviled
e.g. caviled → carped, chicaned, nitpicked, petty-fogged…

Example sentences

  • nitpick Please don't nitpick just for the sake of nitpicking.
  • niggle Mary would always niggle Tom over his lack of punctuation in text messages.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
cavilfalling
nitpickrising
nigglerising
prevaricaterising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
carp1
5 letters
dodge1, evade2
6 letters
object2, niggle, palter
7 letters
shuffle2, censure2, quibble2, chicane, nitpick2, carping2
8 letters
quiddity
9 letters
criticism4
10 letters
equivocate4
11 letters
prevaricate4

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (evade2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
chicaner
Italiano
cavillare
Español
disputar
Deutsch
schikanieren