stickle

verb

stick·​le ˈsti-kəl How to pronounce stickle (audio)
stickled; stickling ˈsti-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce stickle (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to contend especially stubbornly and usually on insufficient grounds
2
: to feel scruples : scruple

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English stightlen, frequentative of stighten to arrange, from Old English stihtan; akin to Old Norse stētta to found, support

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stickle was in 1625

Rhymes for stickle

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Browse Nearby Words

stick lac
stickle
stickleaf
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Cite this Entry

“Stickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stickle. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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