What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Bicker vs Strife - What's the difference?

bicker | strife |

As nouns the difference between bicker and strife

is that bicker is a skirmish; an encounter or bicker can be a small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub while strife is conflict, sometimes violent, usually brief or limited in scope.

As a verb bicker

is to quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.

bicker

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) bikeren ‘to attack’, from (etyl) bicken ‘to stab, attack’ (modern bikken ‘to hack’), from (etyl) ‘to smash, break’.

Verb

(en verb)
  • To quarrel in a tiresome, insulting manner.
  • They bickered about dinner every evening.
  • * Barrow
  • petty things about which men cark and bicker
  • To move tremulously, quiver, shimmer (of a water stream, of a flame)
  • *XIX cent,
  • I come from haunts of coot and hern, / I make a sudden sally, / And sparkle out among the fern, / To bicker down a valley.
  • * Thomson
  • They [streamlets] bickered through the sunny shade.
  • To skirmish; to exchange blows; to fight.
  • * Holland
  • Two eagles had a conflict, and bickered together.
    Derived terms
    *bickerer
    Synonyms
    * wrangle * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A skirmish; an encounter.
  • (Scotland, obsolete) A fight with stones between two parties of boys.
  • (Jamieson)
  • A wrangle; also, a noise, as in angry contention.
  • Etymology 2

    See beaker.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small wooden vessel made of staves and hoops, like a tub.
  • (Webster 1913)

    strife

    English

    Noun

  • Conflict, sometimes violent, usually brief or limited in scope.
  • Synonyms

    * (conflict) conflict, contention, discord

    Derived terms

    * trouble and strife

    Anagrams

    *