Language tip of the week: argue

In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items.

This week’s tip looks at words and phrases you can use instead of argue:

quarrel to argue angrily:
I hate quarrelling with you. ♦ They’re always quarrelling over money.
have a quarrel:
We had the usual family quarrel about who should do the washing up. ♦ He’d had another quarrel with Jamie.
fight to disagree in an angry way about something:
What are you two fighting about now? ♦ I don’t want to fight over such a trivial matter.
have a fight:
All teenagers have fights with their parents.
row (mainly British) to have a short noisy argument:
My parents never row. ♦ We rowed constantly about everything.
have a row (mainly British):
They had a row and he walked out. ♦ Our parents were always having rows about money.
bicker or squabble to argue with someone about things that are not important:
The children bickered constantly with each other. ♦ A group of boys were squabbling over the ball. ♦ The other parties are squabbling amongst themselves.
fall out (British, informal) to stop being friendly with someone because you have had a disagreement with them:
Have you two fallen out? ♦ She’s fallen out with her parents.