rancorous
adjective
ran·cor·ous
ˈraŋ-k(ə-)rəs 
: marked by rancor : deeply malevolent
rancorous envy
rancorously
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of rancorous in a Sentence
a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him
Recent Examples on the Web
The conditions were ripe for a takeover, and Richard J. Daley — who had taken control of the Cook County Democratic Party — defeated Kennelly in a rancorous three-way primary in 1955.
—
Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
These disputes became more rancorous after Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia and its 2014 annexation of Crimea, with liberal internationalists arguing that these wars revealed Putin to be an imperialist, revisionist leader seeking to reconquer the Soviet empire.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The near-assassination of a former U.S. president one week ago briefly halted the rancorous rhetoric gripping the nation.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 July 2024
So rancorous was the group’s dissolution that, in 1993, when CCR were justly inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, John Fogerty refused to perform with the band’s two surviving members.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rancorous 
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.
Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
These disputes became more rancorous after Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia and its 2014 annexation of Crimea, with liberal internationalists arguing that these wars revealed Putin to be an imperialist, revisionist leader seeking to reconquer the Soviet empire.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The near-assassination of a former U.S. president one week ago briefly halted the rancorous rhetoric gripping the nation.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 July 2024
So rancorous was the group’s dissolution that, in 1993, when CCR were justly inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, John Fogerty refused to perform with the band’s two surviving members.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rancorous
Dictionary Entries Near rancorous
Cite this Entry
“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rancorous. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share