ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCcavil
ISEE/SSAThard
cavil
Meaning: to raise petty or needless objections
cavil in a sentence
How cavil is used in real sentences:
Some reviewers caviled about minor errors while ignoring the book's central argument.
The critics caviled about a misplaced comma but overlooked the essay's insight.
“Mara initially caviled at his slow decisions, questioning the angle of a lamp or the cost of discarding a nearly successful sheet.”
— from the passage The Final Impression
“A younger investigator, Mara Venn, declined to cavil over picayune differences in terminology; instead, she asked what observable result would separate rival explanations.”
— from the passage The Chamber Argument
“Margaret, equally practiced, refused to let secretaries cavil over picayune questions of precedence, since disputes about chair placement could consume hours needed for territorial bargaining.”
— from the passage The Negotiators of Cambrai
Synonyms for cavil
Other words for cavil — quibble, carp and nitpick — carry the same meaning.
- quibble
- carp
- nitpick
Antonyms of cavil
Words that mean the opposite of cavil:
- accept
- agree
- approve
Where it comes from
From Latin cavillari, meaning 'to mock or quibble.'
Memory hook
CAVIL sounds like 'caveat': both can introduce objections, but cavils are petty ones.