Select the Synonyms of the word: Quibble

General English ·Previously asked in JKSSB Constable (Executive / Armed / IRP / SDRF) 2024

View the full solved paper: JKSSB Constable 2024 - Set A

Question

Select the Synonyms of the word:

Quibble

  1. A. Acquiesce
  2. B. Prevaricate (Correct answer)
  3. C. Concur
  4. D. Reconciliation

Correct Answer

Option B — Prevaricate

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Prevaricate.

Key Points

  • Quibble means to argue or raise objections about trivial matters, or to evade the point.
  • Prevaricate means to speak evasively or avoid telling the whole truth, which carries the same sense of dodging directness.
  • Acquiesce and Concur both mean to agree — the opposite of quibbling.
  • Reconciliation denotes settlement of a dispute, not the act of raising petty objections.

Additional Information

  • Quibble comes from the Latin *quibus* ("by which"), a word so common in legal documents that it came to stand for pedantic hair-splitting.
  • Useful near-synonyms to revise together: cavil, nitpick, carp and haggle all describe petty objection or dispute.
  • Do not confuse prevaricate (to speak evasively) with procrastinate (to delay action) — a very frequently swapped pair in vocabulary sections.

Topics covered: Synonyms Vocabulary