quarrel
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quarrel¹
- /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/ UK
- /ˈkwɔɹəl/ US
- /ˈkwɑɹəl/ New York City
Rhymes with -ɒɹəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English querele (“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman querele [and other forms] and Middle French querele, querelle (“altercation, dispute; basis for dispute; side in a dispute; complaint; accusation; legal suit; lament; problem”) (modern French querelle), and from their etymon Latin querēla, querella (“dispute; argument; complaint, grievance; legal complaint; lament; illness”), from querī + -ēla, -ella (suffix forming nouns). querī (“to complain; to bewail, lament; to be indignant”) comes from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to puff; to sigh”).
noun quarrels · quarrell
-
A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).
We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.
Similar: argument, argy-bargy, altercation, contention, barney, bawl out, blue, bobbery, brawl, clash, conflict, controversy
- Often preceded by a form of to have: a basis or ground of dispute or objection; a complaint; also, a feeling or situation of ill will and unhappiness caused by this. A few customers in the shop had some quarrels with us, so we called for the manager.
- A propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness. If I can faſten but one cup vpon him, / With that which he hath drunke to night already, / Hee'll be as full of quarrell and offence, / As my young miſtris dog:— [...]
quarrel²
- /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/ UK
- /ˈkwɔɹəl/ US
- /ˈkwɑɹəl/ New York City
Rhymes with -ɒɹəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English querelen (“to dispute, quarrel; to assert one's claims; to rebel”) [and other forms], from querele (noun); see etymology 1. Compare Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Old French quereler, quereller (“to argue with, dispute; to criticize; to bring a legal suit”) (modern French quereller (“to quarrel, squabble”)).
verb quarrels · quarreling · quarrelling · quarreled · quarrelled
- To argue fiercely; to contend; to squabble; to cease to be on friendly terms, to fall out. [T]here is no doubt but the facture or framing of the inward parts, is as full of difference, as the outward, and in that, is the Cauſe Continent of many diſeaſes, which not be obſerued, they quarrell many times with the humors which are not in fault, the fault being in the very frame and Mechanicke
- To find fault; to cavil. to quarrel with one’s lot
- Followed by at: to disagree with; to take offence.
- To argue or squabble with (someone). [T]hey would ſay [...] that I had quarrell'd / My brother purpoſely, thereby to finde / An apt pretext, to baniſh them my houſe.
quarrel³
- /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/ UK
- /ˈkwɔɹəl/ US
- /ˈkwɑɹəl/ New York City
Rhymes with -ɒɹəl
Where it comes from
PIE word
*kʷetwóres
From Middle English quarrel (“bolt for an arbalest, crossbow, or siege engine; (figurative) seductive glance, temptation to sin; needle (possibly one square in cross-section); small (perhaps square-shaped) opening in window tracery; a cushion (perhaps square-shaped)”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman quarel, quarele, quarrel, Middle French quarrel, and Old French quarel, quarrel, carrel (“crossbow bolt; floor tile or paving stone (rectangular- or square-shaped); small glass pane for windows”) (modern French carreau (“crossbow bolt; a tile; windowpane; a square”)), from Late Latin quarellus, quadrellus (“crossbow bolt; paving stone; a tile”), from Latin quadrum (“a square; square section; regular shape or form”) + -ellus (variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutive nouns, indicating small size or youth)). Quadrum is ultimately derived from quattuor (“four”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”). Doublet of carreau.
noun quarrels
- An arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”), traditionally with the head square in its cross section. Twanged the ſtring, out flew the quarell long, / And through the ſubtile aire did ſinging pas, / It hit the knight the buckles rich among, / Wherewith his pretious girdle faſt'ned was, / It bruſed them and pearſt his hawberke ſtrong, / Some little blood downe trickled on the gras; [...]
-
A diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window.
Similar: quarry
-
A square tile; a quarry tile; (uncountable) such tiles collectively.
Similar: quarry
- A cutting tool or chisel with a diamond- or square-shaped end.
- A small square-shaped opening in window tracery.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: altercate, wrangle, words, dispute, dustup, argufy, run-in, row, wrangling, bickering, squabbling, squabble, tiff, feud, disagreement, controversy
Translations
Every language
noun dispute or heated argument
| Español | brega, discusión, pelea, pelotera, rencilla, riña |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 싸움 ssaum, 다툼 datum, 말다툼 maldatum, 말싸움 malssaum, 말씨름 malssireum, 입씨름 ipssireum |
| 日本語 | 言い争い iiarasoi, 口論 kōron, 口喧嘩 kuchigenka |
| 中文 | 吵架 chǎojià |
| हिन्दी | झगड़ा jhagṛā, विवाद vivād |
| Português | querela, discussão |
| Français | querelle, dispute |
| Deutsch | Streit |
| Italiano | battibecco, bisticcio, diatriba, discussione, disputa, diverbio |
| Ελληνικά | καβγάς kavgás, λογομαχία logomachía, τσακωμός tsakomós |
| Română | ceartă |
| Русский | ссо́ра ssóra, спор spor, перебра́нка perebránka, сва́ра svára |
| Tiếng Việt | cãi cọ, cãi vã |
| العربية | نِزَاع nizāʕ, شِجَار šijār |
| עברית | רִיב riv |
noun basis or ground of dispute or objection — see also complaint
| Español | queja, problema, querella, rencilla |
|---|---|
| Português | queixa |
verb to argue strongly, contend, squabble
| Español | reñir, refertar, disputar, querellarse, querellar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 싸우다 ssauda, 다투다 datuda, 말다툼하다 maldatumhada |
| 日本語 | 言い争う iiarasou, 口論する kōron suru, 口喧嘩する kuchigenka suru |
| 中文 | 拌嘴 bànzuǐ, 吵架 chǎojià |
| हिन्दी | झगड़ना jhagaṛnā |
| Português | querelar, discutir |
| Français | se quereller, se disputer |
| Deutsch | sich streiten, streiten, sich zanken |
| Italiano | bisticciare, discutere, litigare |
| Ελληνικά | καβγαδίζω kavgadízo, λογομαχώ logomachó, μαλώνω malóno, τσακώνομαι tsakónomai |
| Română | a se certa, interveni într-o ceartă |
| Русский | ссо́риться ssóritʹsja, спо́рить spóritʹ, руга́ться rugátʹsja, брани́ться branítʹsja, препира́ться prepirátʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | cãi cọ, cãi vã |
| العربية | تَشَاجَرَ tašājara |
verb to find fault — see also cavil
| Español | discrepar |
|---|---|
| Italiano | incriminare |
noun arrow or bolt for a crossbow or arbalest
| Português | seta, quadrelo |
|---|---|
| Français | carreau |
| Deutsch | Bolzen |
| Italiano | quadrello |
| Русский | болт bolt |
noun square tile — see also quarry tile
| 日本語 | タイル tairu |
|---|
Talk about this word "quarrel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/quarrel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. quarrel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/quarrel "quarrel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/quarrel.Cite this
@misc{quarrel_2026,
title = {quarrel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/quarrel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
