i Register
In some senses, tiff is marked as informal, archaic, obsolete, slang, British. Watch for register when choosing this word.
tiff
/tɪf/
noun 9verb 5name 2
Collocations
3ADJ.
curious, little, slight, small
TIFF + NOUN
boyfriend, cat, elf, friends, hall, mrs, vvig
PREP.
after, between, out, since, with
Definitions
noun
1
A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat.
My Lord and I have had another little—Tiff, ſhall I call it? It came not up to a quarrel. Married people vvould have enough to do, if they vvere to trouble their friends every time they miſunderſtood one another.
There's Tom, now, since this tiff with Mrs. Cat, the scoundrel plays the Grand Turk here!
2
A brief outburst or period of bad temper; a snit; also (rare) any brief outburst (for example, of laughter).
[A]s if / Returning homevvards in a furious Tiff; / Your Hoſt declares, he's ſorry at his Heart, / And humbly acts the penitential Part.
Wilhelmina […] answered his romances and him with tiffs of laughter, in a prettily fleeting manner.
verb
1
To be involved in a (generally small) argument or disagreement; to squabble.
I very much indeed approve / Of maidens moderating love / Until they've twenty pounds; / […] / Until the twenty pounds were safe, / She tiff'd at Tim, she ran from Ralph, / Squire nodded … deuce a curtsy!
Poor Newton! he little knew to what he owed that glance. The fact is, the Captain was late, and Miss Bowers tiffed.
noun
1
Alternative letter-case form of TIFF (acronym of tagged image file format).
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
My Lord and I have had another little—Tiff, ſhall I call it? It came not up to a quarrel. Married people vvould have enough to do, if they vvere to trouble their friends every time they miſunderſtood
Wiktionary02
There's Tom, now, since this tiff with Mrs. Cat, the scoundrel plays the Grand Turk here!
Wiktionary03
[T]he blithe young couple were a pleasant sight to see, as they twirled merrily round and round, feeling more friendly than ever after their small tiff.
Wiktionary04
I very much indeed approve / Of maidens moderating love / Until they've twenty pounds; / […] / Until the twenty pounds were safe, / She tiff'd at Tim, she ran from Ralph, / Squire nodded … deuce a cur
Wiktionary05
Poor Newton! he little knew to what he owed that glance. The fact is, the Captain was late, and Miss Bowers tiffed.
Wiktionary06
Besides that one to which the permanent residence was attached, Mr. Augustus had several outlaying factories, which he visited from time to time, to superintend the manufacture of his indigo; at all o
WiktionaryUsage Notes
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