Meaning & use
quarrel or fight about
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to argue or struggle with someone because of a particular subject or issue
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the subject is the people involved, and 'about' introduces the topic. Can be used with 'over' instead of 'about'.
Patterns
- quarrel or fight about something
- quarrel or fight about someone
- quarrel or fight over something
The children often quarrel or fight about whose turn it is to play with the toy.
They quarreled or fought about money constantly, which eventually led to their divorce.
Neighbors should not quarrel or fight about such trivial matters as parking spaces.
Common combinations
- quarrel or fight about money
- Many couples quarrel or fight about money at some point.
- quarrel or fight about politics
- At family gatherings, they try not to quarrel or fight about politics.
- quarrel or fight about trivial things
- It's silly to quarrel or fight about trivial things.
- quarrel or fight about the same thing
- They seem to quarrel or fight about the same thing every week.
Synonyms and how they differ
- argue about
- Similar meaning but 'argue' is more general and doesn't necessarily imply anger or a prolonged dispute.
- disagree about
- Weaker than 'quarrel or fight about'; it suggests a difference of opinion rather than an emotional conflict.
- bicker about
- Means to argue about unimportant things; often used for petty quarrels.
Opposites
Commonly confused: quarrel or fight about or quarrel with?
quarrel or fight about vs quarrel with
Means to argue with someone, not about a topic. 'Quarrel with someone' vs. 'quarrel about something'.
Practice
They always quarrel or fight ___ who should do the dishes.
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition is 'about' because it introduces the topic of the argument. 'With' would introduce the person, not the topic. 'For' and 'on' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “quarrel or fight about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.