noun
Barney
BAH-nee
noun
1
British slang: a noisy argument or quarrel.
"The neighbours had a right barney over the fence line."
"They got into a barney about who forgot to lock the door."
2
British slang: a bit of harmless fun or a lark.
"It started as a barney between mates and ended in a friendly bet."
verb
1
To argue or quarrel noisily.
"The two of them were barneying over the last slice of pizza."
How to Use Barney
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishChiefly British slang for a loud argument.
Memory tip
Very informal — mostly heard in British English conversation, not written formally.
Trace the full origin ↓Word Forms
more barney comparative, barneyed past tense, Barneys plural, barneys plural, barneys plural, barneys singular, most barney superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “Barney”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The neighbours had a right _____ over the fence line.
Etymology
Origin uncertain — possibly from the Old English personal name Bera, or from a word meaning "grown with barley."