What does "tiff" mean?
A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat.
Tiff
/tɪf/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat.
- Grammar: tiff is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: spat, squabble, altercate, altercation.
- Useful contrasts: accord, consensus, harmony.
- Usage evidence: I expected him to come back. It was just a slight tiff.
How to use "tiff"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tiff" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tiff" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tiff" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tiff" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tiff" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "spat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tiff", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A (generally small) argument or disagreement; a petty quarrel, a spat. informal
"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."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of TIFF (acronym of tagged image file format). alt-of, informal
- 3 A small draught or sip of liquor (especially diluted or poor quality liquor) or punch. archaic, countable, informal, obsolete, slang
"Come, Captain, let not your noble Courage be caſt dovvn; vvhat ſay you to a Glaſs of vvhite VVine, or a Tiff of Punch, by VVay of VVhet?"
- 4 The way in which one's body or hair is decked out or dressed. archaic, informal, obsolete, rare, slang
"Did you mark the beau Tiff of his VVig, vvhat a deal of Pains he took to toſs it back, vvhen the very VVeight thereof vvas like to dravv him from his Seat?"
- 5 An image stored in the TIFF format.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Alternative form of TIFF. alt-of, alternative
- 7 a quarrel about petty points wordnet
- 8 A brief outburst or period of bad temper; a snit; also (rare) any brief outburst (for example, of laughter). archaic, informal
"[A]s if / Returning homevvards in a furious Tiff; / Your Hoſt declares, he's ſorry at his Heart, / And humbly acts the penitential Part."
- 9 Liquor, especially diluted or poor quality liquor. archaic, informal, obsolete, slang, uncountable
"By dint of drinking acid tiff, as above mentioned, and smoking segars, in which I am no novice, my Public are to be informed, that I gradually drank and smoked myself into a certain degree of acquaintance with un homme comme il faut [a proper man], one of the few fine old specimens of nobility who are still to be found in France; […]"
- 10 A file using TIFF file format
Verb
- 1 To be involved in a (generally small) argument or disagreement; to squabble. informal, intransitive
"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!"
- 2 Synonym of tiffin (“to eat a (light) midday meal or snack; to have lunch, to lunch”). British, India, informal, intransitive
"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 of these he had little bungalows, or temporary abodes, where we tiffed and passed the heat of the day."
- 3 To drink (liquor), especially slowly or in small amounts; to sip. archaic, informal, obsolete, slang, transitive
"Nor did the Doctor fail to go / To the bright region of the Row; / There tiff'd his punch and talk'd and smok'd, / Was sometimes grave and sometimes jok'd; […]"
- 4 To deck out or dress (someone or oneself, or their body or hair). archaic, informal, obsolete, reflexive, slang, transitive
"Is the Miſs under a force vvhen ſhe culls among her trinkets vvith curious toil to tiff herſelf out in the most engaging manner, or teazes pappa for money to buy a nevv-faſhioned ſilk?"
- 5 To deck out or dress one's body or hair. archaic, informal, intransitive, obsolete, slang
"I never pin up my Hair vvith Proſe. I fancy ones Hair vvou'd not curl if it vvere pinn'd up vvith Proſe. […] Ay, poor Mincing tift and tift all the morning."
Proper Noun
- 1 Acronym of tagged image file format. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 2 A diminutive of the female given name Tiffany.
Example
"I expected him to come back. It was just a slight tiff."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tiff"?
Common synonyms include: spat, squabble, altercate, altercation, argument, beef.
How do you use "tiff" in a sentence?
I expected him to come back. It was just a slight tiff.
How do you pronounce "tiff"?
Pronounced /tɪf/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The origin of the noun is unknown; it is possibly originally dialectal and may be onomatopoeic, representing the sound of a small puff of air or gas. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 2
See TIFF.
Etymology 3
Probably a back-formation from or clipping of tiff(in) (“(light) midday meal or snack, luncheon”).
Etymology 4
The origin of the noun is unknown; it may be onomatopoeic, representing the sound of liquor being sipped. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 5
From Middle English tiffen, tif, tiffe (“to adorn, dress up; to arrange (a hairstyle); to disguise”), from Old French tifer, tiffer (“to adorn, dress up”) (modern French attifer (“to deck out”)), from Frankish *tipfōn, *tippōn (“to decorate”), possibly related to Proto-Germanic *tuppaz (“plait of hair, tuft; summit, top”) (see the further etymology at that entry). The noun is derived from the verb. cognates * Dutch tippen (“to clip the points or ends of the hair”) * English tip (noun) * Middle High German zipfen (“to bob; to flutter; to frisk, prance, skip; to sashay”) * Old Norse tippa (“point, tip”)
Etymology 6
Shortened from Tiffany.