1
a
: a clever usually taunting remark : gibe
b
: a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment
2
3
: something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric : oddity
quipped; quipping
: to jest or gibe at
Did you know?
Quip is a shortening of quippy, a noun that is no longer in use. Etymologists believe that quippy came from Latin quippe, a word meaning "indeed" or "to be sure" that was often used ironically.
Synonyms
Examples of quip in a Sentence
Noun
They traded quips over a beer.
has his share of the quips that seem to come with a title of nobility
Verb
she rolled her eyes at her brother's bragging and quipped, “You're a legend in your own mind, all right”
Recent Examples on the Web
Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 21 Dec. 2024
Instead, Belichick offered a quip about his reputation for giving terse responses during news conferences with the Patriots.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2024
The singer quipped freely in her annual video with Vanity Fair.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quip 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
That was amplified by a quip that Strickland reportedly made.
—Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 21 Dec. 2024
Instead, Belichick offered a quip about his reputation for giving terse responses during news conferences with the Patriots.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
Debunking an Elon Musk 'hoax' As tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has become more vocal about the future of the country, including a series of tweets criticizing the government funding bill, many lawmakers and pundits have started quipping that Musk is actually running the country.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 22 Dec. 2024
The singer quipped freely in her annual video with Vanity Fair.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quip
Dictionary Entries Near quip
Cite this Entry
“Quip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quip. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quip
1 of 2 noun1
: a clever remark
2
: a witty or funny saying
quip
2 of 2 verb
quipped; quipping
: to make quips
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share