haggling

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "haggling" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the act of negotiating the price of something, typically in a market or sales context. Example: "After some haggling, I managed to get the seller to lower the price of the antique vase."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Travel

Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mark Rutte, the centre-right Dutch prime minister, threw in the towel on Monday, submitting his resignation to Queen Beatrix after seven weeks of fruitless haggling over colossal spending cuts, which are required to comply with new European rules he has done much to design.

The Guardian

Haggling over reforms expected to focus on eradicating corruption, overturning the tax system and modernising Athens'dysfunctional public administration will take months – if, indeed, creditors accept them in preliminary form on Monday.

The Guardian

While the adults dealt with the paperwork, the Jangano juniors explored the souk, chatting to the traders and their families, drinking tea, learning a little Arabic, discovering the pleasure of haggling and eating kilos of dates.

The Guardian - Travel

Isolated internationally, the government is currently haggling with international creditors over a cash-for-reform deal to keep the debt-stricken country afloat.

The Guardian - Arts

In a less-noticed speech this week, Lord Drayson, the smart minister in charge of procurement, threatened to curb inter-service haggling.

The Guardian - Opinion

Very little haggling goes on in the shops, but it's rife in the markets where you are free to practise your bartering skills.

The Guardian - Travel

While their husbands were out labouring all day in the fields or the fishing boats, the women of Juchitán took charge of trade, bartering and haggling with every foreigner who passed through this fortuitous bottleneck between the two continents of America.

The Guardian - Travel

After a hard day's haggling in the souks, it's just a short stagger back to the Bamboo's shady courtyard, where you can sip a mint tea or take a dip in the small pool.

The Guardian - Travel

Gordon Brown spent days haggling with energy barons to deliver a half-hearted, excessively means-tested response to fuel poverty.

The Guardian

Beyond that, uniquely in modern times, we may not know the name of the next tenant of 10 Downing Street until after two or three weeks of haggling to form an administration, one capable of mustering a majority – 326 votes out of 650 – in the House of Commons at Westminster.

The Guardian

Eager though he is to start working, he may not have finished haggling quite yet.But as soon as the cabinet is in place, Mr Ghani will at last be able to focus on getting things done.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about "haggling", consider your audience and the context. Use it when describing informal negotiations, especially in markets or personal sales. For more formal situations, consider "negotiating".

Common error

Avoid using "haggling" in formal business or legal settings. It implies a less professional approach to negotiation. Instead, opt for terms like "negotiation" or "bargaining" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

"Haggling" functions as a noun, often describing the process of negotiating prices or terms. It can also be a verb, in its present participle form, describing the act of negotiating. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the term is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

79%

Travel

7%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Haggling" is a grammatically sound and frequently used term referring to the act of negotiating or bargaining. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is suitable for use in written English. While generally neutral to informal in register, it appears most often in news and media contexts, describing a range of negotiations from political deals to market transactions. When writing, remember that while acceptable, in formal or business setting consider "negotiation" instead.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bargaining

This alternative focuses on reaching an agreement through discussion.

negotiating

This term emphasizes a more formal discussion aimed at reaching an agreement.

price negotiation

This specifies that the negotiation is related to pricing.

deal-making

This alternative highlights the process of creating a deal.

wheeling and dealing

This suggests a more informal and potentially manipulative negotiation.

bartering

This emphasizes the exchange of goods or services without using money.

horse-trading

This refers to hard bargaining, often involving compromises.

wrangling

This suggests a contentious and potentially difficult negotiation.

compromising

This highlights the act of making concessions to reach an agreement.

dickering

This alternative suggests petty bargaining.

FAQs

How to use "haggling" in a sentence?

"Haggling" refers to the act of bargaining over a price. For example: "After some "haggling", I got a good price on the rug."

What can I say instead of "haggling"?

You can use alternatives like "bargaining", "negotiating", or "price negotiation" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "haggling" or "negotiation"?

Both are correct, but "haggling" is more informal and typically used for smaller transactions, while "negotiation" is more formal and suitable for business or legal contexts.

What's the difference between "haggling" and "bartering"?

"Haggling" involves negotiating a price, usually with money, while "bartering" involves exchanging goods or services directly without using money.