Caviling: meaning, definitions and examples

Caviling is used when someone complains or raises small objections unnecessarily. It often implies that the person is being overly critical or picky about trivial matters.

• Stop caviling about the minor details and focus on the bigger picture.
• His constant caviling over insignificant issues frustrated his colleagues.

Nitpick is used when someone is being extremely critical about very small or trivial details. It often suggests an unnecessary level of scrutiny that can be irritating to others.

• He tends to nitpick every single detail of the report, which slows down the entire process.
• Can we avoid nitpicking and just agree on the main points?

Quibble is used when someone argues or raises objections about a trivial matter. It's often used in contexts where the person is seen as being unnecessarily argumentative over something insignificant.

• Let's not quibble over the exact wording of the contract; the main terms are what matter.
• She would quibble about the smallest issues, which made negotiations difficult.

Carp is typically used in a negative sense to describe someone who complains or finds fault continually, usually about minor issues. It conveys a sense of annoyance with the person doing the carping.

• She started to carp about the food as soon as it was served.
• Instead of being appreciative, he always finds something to carp about.

Used when someone is making petty or unnecessary objections or raising trivial issues, often in a nagging or frivolous manner.

• She was constantly caviling about the smallest details of the project.
• Instead of caviling over minor points, let's focus on the main issue.