as in acrimonious
having or showing deep-seated resentment
a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him
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Recent Examples of rancorous
Contrast that with the current perception of American college campuses (and, to an extent, campuses across the wider world) constantly portrayed as rancorous battlegrounds in the culture wars, where dissenting ideas are often collateral damage, as are those promulgating them.
—
Shaun Carver, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The recent months of campaigning have been volatile and rancorous, underscoring a changing American narrative in which a white, mostly Christian majority is shrinking in the face of a growing multiracial population.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Shaun Carver, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
The recent months of campaigning have been volatile and rancorous, underscoring a changing American narrative in which a white, mostly Christian majority is shrinking in the face of a growing multiracial population.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous
Adjective
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Their divorce was followed by years of acrimonious, ugly custody battles and vicious fighting.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
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Despite their acrimonious relationship, McCarthy’s potential consulting gig could put him on Trump’s side in the ongoing water wars with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has tried to placate the commander-in-chief while holding fast against some of his more hardline environmental and immigration stances.—
Lia Russell,
Sacramento Bee,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Trashing a guy’s car is nothing new among angry exes, but one Florida woman took it to an absurd level after having a little too much to drink, according to Florida investigators.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2025
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One of her twisted arms is lopped off by an angry audience member and turns into a firehose of blood.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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He was slowed by a lingering back injury and tried to play through a sore knee.—
Patrick Saunders,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
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Kawhi Leonard had 17 points and eight rebounds after missing back-to-back games because of a sore left foot.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The bitter exchange was unlike any other in the Oval Office in modern times. 13:43 With Ukraine's future in the balance, a high-stakes meeting on Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a shouting match.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2025
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Their bond defies centuries of tradition, where vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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It’s packed with tough love, cathartic activities, and positive affirmations that won’t leave cynical folks rolling their eyes.—
Kristin Canning,
SELF,
25 Feb. 2025
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It’s been cool and cynical, surreal and silly, bold enough to make adolescents of all ages feel daring for staying up past 11:30 (or catching up on YouTube the next morning) and safe enough to keep advertisers and network executives happy.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But much of the film is centered on her domestic life, cooking fish for a date who never shows up, entertaining friends and colleagues, melting down in the bathroom and receiving a rare visit from a resentful daughter.—
Julie Lasky,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Stateless, unemployed, resentful, which other nation would risk its own stability to absorb 1.5 million hungry, frustrated, angry, heavily armed refugees?—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And even those Angelenos whose homes are still standing are feeling a newfound sense of fragility, realizing with every step into the acrid air how little about their lives is assured.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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Oxidation is one of the main things that makes old coffee taste stale and acrid.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
6 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
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