CONTENTIOUS Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'contentious' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of contentious are bellicose , belligerent , pugnacious , and quarrelsome . While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling. // wearied by his contentious disposition

Q: When would 'bellicose' be a good substitute for 'contentious'?

The meanings of bellicose and contentious largely overlap; however, bellicose suggests a disposition to fight. // a drunk in a bellicose mood

Q: When could 'belligerent' be used to replace 'contentious'?

While the synonyms belligerent and contentious are close in meaning, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities. // belligerent nations

Q: When can 'pugnacious' be used instead of 'contentious'?

In some situations, the words pugnacious and contentious are roughly equivalent. However, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat. // a pugnacious gangster

Q: In what contexts can 'quarrelsome' take the place of 'contentious'?

The synonyms quarrelsome and contentious are sometimes interchangeable, but quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause. // the heat made us all quarrelsome

contentious

adjective

kən-ˈten(t)-shəs

Definition of contentious next

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight the Tartars were a contentious people who terrorized much of Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in controversial

given to arguing a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing

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as in difficult

relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word contentious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of contentious are bellicose, belligerent, pugnacious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When would bellicose be a good substitute for contentious?

The meanings of bellicose and contentious largely overlap; however, bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

When could belligerent be used to replace contentious?

While the synonyms belligerent and contentious are close in meaning, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

When can pugnacious be used instead of contentious?

In some situations, the words pugnacious and contentious are roughly equivalent. However, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

In what contexts can quarrelsome take the place of contentious?

The synonyms quarrelsome and contentious are sometimes interchangeable, but quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

Examples of contentious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The same goes for the leadership at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with which Cuban has had a contentious relationship. —

Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024 Newsom was one of the last Democratic heavyweights yet to endorse in the contentious race to replace longtime U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, where both candidates are of the same party. —

Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024 The controversial emails written by Troy school board President Karl Schmidt became publicly known in recent months after they were obtained by some of his opponents during a contentious school board race in which Schmidt is running for reelection. —

Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 28 Oct. 2024 The vote to move forward with the plan was contentious. —

Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contentious

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contentious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.