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to argue over

to argue over

36 2.9
To talk with someone because you disagree about something
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈɑrɡju ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : discutir (sobre/por)
  • I reckon they argued over money.
  • argue over the issue with officials
  • still argue over

Like why are we arguing over like little things, you know?

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Examples

  • Yeah, you were arguing over what to watch.

  • People have argued over the role and necessity of romance and relationships in contemporary women's fiction.

    Academic text (2011)
  • We used to argue over it.

  • Yeah, we were arguing over what to watch.

  • There were two guys arguing over a woman.

  • In New York, the chief judge and the governor have been arguing over the size of the court budget.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The next day, the artists argued over the new sculpture.

    Academic text (2007)
  • We had been arguing over paint colors for the kitchen.

  • We were just arguing over survival strategy.

  • All day, we argue over who owns this land.

Synonyms

to debate
vsto argue over
474 2.8

To discuss and argue about a topic in a formal way

is an everyday disagreement about a specific subject rather than formal talk
to have words (with)
vsto argue over
  • Informal
119 7.5

Argue angrily with someone about something

is a general dispute focused on a particular topic
to contend
vsto argue over
  • Formal
97 4.6

Argue or claim that something is wrong, often in a formal process

is a broader disagreement about a particular subject rather than a claim
to quarrel
vsto argue over
35 2.6

To argue angrily with someone about small things

is a neutral dispute about a specific subject rather than anger
to quibble
vsto argue over
26 7.0

To argue about small unimportant details to avoid the main point

is a straightforward dispute about a particular subject rather than nitpicking
to squabble
vsto argue over
  • Informal
18 4.4

To argue loudly about small unimportant things

is a neutral disagreement over a specific subject, not necessarily petty
to have words
vsto argue over
  • Informal
11 6.9

Talk angrily to someone because of a disagreement

is a neutral disagreement about a specific subject
to cross swords
vsto argue over
  • Informal
5 6.8

Argue strongly with someone, often in public

is a plain disagreement about a particular issue rather than a clash
to have a quarrel
vsto argue over
2 2.8

Argue with someone and feel angry or upset afterward

is a general disagreement about a particular matter
to altercate
vsto argue over
  • Formal
9.9

To argue angrily, often for a long time or in public

is a simple disagreement about a particular thing without strong vehemence
to skirmish over
vsto argue over
6.7

Argue a little about something, like where to eat

is a general disagreement over a specific subject rather than a tiny clash
to argufy
vsto argue over
  • Archaic
9.9

To disagree angrily about small, unimportant things

is a disagreement about a particular subject without implying triviality

Antonyms

596 3.3

To end an argument by agreement or decision

215 3.7

To settle a disagreement by each side giving up something

How Heated

to fight
1.0
to quarrel
35 2.6
to argue over
36 2.9
to debate
474 2.8
to discuss
1.6

Surface Forms

argue over infinitive
argued over past participle
arguing over present participle
argues over third person singular

Morphology

argue + over

The verb 'argue' (to have a verbal disagreement) combined with the preposition 'over' (in the sense 'about' or 'concerning') yields a directly compositional meaning: to dispute or disagree about a particular subject. This combination follows common English verb + preposition patterns and is cross-linguistically paralleled, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Argue over gives a simple picture: people argue while pointing at or standing above the thing they disagree about, and the word over shows what the argument is about. So it means 'to disagree about' a particular subject or thing.