cavil
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cavil
- /ˈkæv.əl/ US, UK
- /ˈkæv.ɪl/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ævəl
Where it comes from
From Old French caviller (“mock, jest, rail”), from Latin cavillor (“jeer, mock, satirise, reason captiously”), from cavilla (“jeering, raillery, scoffing”); cognate with Italian cavillare, Portuguese cavillar, and Spanish cavilar; nominal usage developed within English from the original verbal usage.
verb cavils · caviling · cavilling · caviled · cavilled
-
To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.
'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.
Similar: be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairs
noun cavils · cavel · cavell
- A petty or trivial objection or criticism. It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil, but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.
Translations
Every language
verb to criticise for petty or frivolous reasons
| Español | poner reparos, poner peros, poner pegas |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 吹毛求疵 chuīmáoqiúcī, 挑剔 tiāotī |
| Português | chicanar, sofismar |
| Français | chicaner |
| Deutsch | nörgeln, kritteln, schikanieren |
| Italiano | cavillare |
| Ελληνικά | μεμψιμοιρώ mempsimoiró, μικρολογώ mikrologó |
| Română | cicăli, pisălogi, șicana |
| Русский | придира́ться pridirátʹsja |
Talk about this word "cavil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cavil. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. cavil. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cavil "cavil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cavil.Cite this
@misc{cavil_2026,
title = {cavil},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cavil},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
