1540s, from Middle French caviller "to mock, jest," from Latin cavillari "to jeer, mock; satirize, argue scoffingly" (also source of Italian cavillare, Spanish cavilar), from cavilla "jest, jeering," related to calumnia (see calumny).
实用例句
1. Let us not cavil too much.
我们就别太挑剔了。
来自柯林斯例句
2. A carper will cavil at anything.
爱挑剔的人对什么都挑剔.
来自《简明英汉词典》
3. Even he could find nothing to cavil about.
连他都挑不出什么毛病来.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4. I don't think this is the time to cavil at the wording of the report.
我觉得现在还不是对报告的措辞较真的时候。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Most practitioners reject the idea of a " new science " and cavil even at the word futurology.