What does quarreled mean?
Quarreled means that a disagreement or argument occurred in the past. It is the past-tense form of the verb quarrel and is commonly used when recounting conflicts between people, whether serious disputes or everyday arguments. The word carries a distinctly negative tone: a quarrel is usually marked by anger, hostility, or tension rather than a calm disagreement. In conversation and formal writing, quarreled is the standard American spelling, while quarrelled is the usual British form, although both spellings are widely understood. The verb is often followed by “over” or “about” to identify the subject of the dispute, or by “with” to identify the other participant. Because it describes an event that has already happened, quarreled commonly appears in narratives, reports, and accounts of interpersonal conflict. It is more emotionally charged than merely disagreeing.
verbQuarreled is the past tense of quarrel in American English, meaning to have an angry disagreement or argument. It is also the past tense of quarrel in British English, where the additional spelling variant quarrelled is common.
- To have an argument or angry disagreement with someone.
"The two neighbors quarreled over the boundary fence before eventually apologizing."
"The committee members quarreled about how the budget should be allocated."
"After quarreling for hours, the friends finally agreed to seek mediation."
One small spelling change carries a whole ocean of difference: Americans usually write quarreled, while British English commonly doubles the l in quarrelled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quarreled come from?
The verb comes from the Middle English word quarren, meaning to dispute or argue, which developed from Old French quarrel. The Old French noun quarrel, related to Latin quaerere, originally referred to a dispute or legal controversy. English developed the verb forms “quarrel” and “quarreled,” with the doubled-l spelling “quarrelled” established especially in British English.
Related word forms
How quarreled is actually used
Quarreled is the usual American spelling; quarrelled is the common British spelling. The word is usually used for a serious or heated disagreement, though it can describe less formal disputes as well.
Easily confused with quarreled
Quarreled is the standard past-tense spelling in American English, while quarrelled is the usual British spelling and is also accepted in other varieties.
Quarreled is the past tense of the verb quarrel; quarrel is the base form and can also be a noun meaning an argument.