cavil
verb /ˈkævl/
/ˈkævl/
[intransitive] (formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they cavil | /ˈkævl/ /ˈkævl/ |
| he / she / it cavils | /ˈkævlz/ /ˈkævlz/ |
| past simple cavilled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| past participle cavilled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| (US English) past simple caviled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| (US English) past participle caviled | /ˈkævld/ /ˈkævld/ |
| -ing form cavilling | /ˈkævlɪŋ/ /ˈkævlɪŋ/ |
| (US English) -ing form caviling | /ˈkævlɪŋ/ /ˈkævlɪŋ/ |
- cavil (at something) to make unnecessary complaints about something synonym quibble
- Several countries cavilled at the cost of the project.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French caviller, from Latin cavillari, from cavilla ‘mockery’.