Synonyms & Antonyms of contentious - Merriam-Webster

Synonyms for CONTENTIOUS: aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy; Antonyms for CONTENTIOUS: nonaggressive, ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut Thesaurus contentious adjective SaveWord Synonyms&Antonymsofcontentious 1 feelingordisplayingeagernesstofight theTartarswereacontentiouspeoplewhoterrorizedmuchofAsiaandeasternEuropeduringtheMiddleAges Synonymsforcontentious aggressive,agonistic,argumentative,assaultive,bellicose,belligerent,brawly,chippy,combative,confrontational,discordant,disputatious,feisty,gladiatorial,militant,pugnacious,quarrelsome,scrappy,truculent,warlike WordsRelatedtocontentious antagonistic,fierce,hostile,hot-temperedacidic,bearish,bilious,bristly,choleric,crabby,cranky,cross,disagreeable,dyspeptic,fractious,fretful,grouchy,grumpy,huffy,ill-humored,ill-natured,ill-tempered,irascible,irritable,ornery,peevish,pettish,petulant,prickly,querulous,rude,snappish,snappy,stroppy[British],surly,testy,touchy,ugly,waspishsavage,viciousbattling,fighting,warring PhrasesSynonymouswithcontentious onthewarpath NearAntonymsforcontentious anti-imperialist,antimilitarist,unwarlikeaffable,amiable,amicable,benevolent,complaisant,conciliatory,cordial,easygoing,friendly,genial,good-natured,good-tempered,gracious,ingratiating,kindhearted,obliging,pleasant,sociablecalm,quiet,relaxed,serene,tranquilbenign,gentle,kindly,mild Antonymsforcontentious nonaggressive,nonbelligerent,pacific,peaceable,peaceful,unbelligerent,uncombative,uncontentious 2 giventoarguing atiresomelycontentiouspersonwholikestoargueforthesakeofarguing Synonymsforcontentious argumentative,controversial,disputatious,polemical(alsopolemic),quarrelsome,scrappy WordsRelatedtocontentious aggressive,bellicose,belligerent,combative,gladiatorial,militant,pugnacious,truculent,warlikefeisty,fractious,surlybalky,contrary,ornery,perverse,restive,waywarddisobedient,froward,insubordinate,intractable,recalcitrant,refractoryhardheaded,headstrong,mulish,obdurate,obstinate,pigheaded,resistant,self-opinionated,self-willed,stubborn,unbending,uncompromising,uncooperative,unreasonable,unyielding,willful(orwilful)acidic,bearish,bilious,cantankerous,captious,choleric,crabby,cranky,cross,disagreeable,dyspeptic,fretful,grouchy,grumpy,huffy,ill-humored,ill-natured,ill-tempered,irascible,irritable,peevish,pettish,petulant,querulous,rude,snappish,snappy,splenetic,testy,touchy,waspishbattling,fighting,warring NearAntonymsforcontentious affable,amiable,amicable,benevolent,cordial,easygoing,friendly,genial,good-natured,good-tempered,gracious,ingratiating,pleasant,sociableacquiescent,agreeable,amenable,complaisant,compliant,complying,conciliatory,cooperative,obligingdocile,obedient,submissive,tractablepacific,peaceable,peaceful 3 relatingtoorcausingtheexpressionofopposingopinions guncontrolislikelytobeacontentioussubjectinanygroupdiscussion Synonymsforcontentious argumentative,controversial,disputatious,hot-button,polemical(alsopolemic) WordsRelatedtocontentious delicate,difficult,knotty,problematic(alsoproblematical),spiny,thorny,ticklish,touchy,tough NearAntonymsforcontentious incontestable,incontrovertible,indisputable,indubitable,undeniable,unquestionableirrefutableuncontested,undisputed Antonymsforcontentious noncontroversial,safe,uncontroversial SeetheDictionaryDefinition  FrequentlyAskedQuestionsAboutcontentious Howisthewordcontentiousdistinctfromothersimilaradjectives? Somecommonsynonymsofcontentiousarebellicose,belligerent,pugnacious,andquarrelsome.Whileallthesewordsmean"havinganaggressiveorfightingattitude,"contentiousimpliesperverseandirritatingfondnessforarguingandquarreling. weariedbyhiscontentiousdisposition Whenwouldbellicosebeagoodsubstituteforcontentious? Themeaningsofbellicoseandcontentiouslargelyoverlap;however,bellicosesuggestsadispositiontofight. adrunkinabellicosemood Whencouldbelligerentbeusedtoreplacecontentious? Whilethesynonymsbelligerentandcontentiousarecloseinmeaning,belligerentoftenimpliesbeingactuallyatwarorengagedinhostilities. belligerentnations Whencanpugnaciousbeusedinsteadofcontentious? Insomesituations,thewordspugnaciousandcontentiousareroughlyequivalent.However,pugnacioussuggestsadispositionthattakespleasureinpersonalcombat. apugnaciousgangster Inwhatcontextscanquarrelsometaketheplaceofcontentious? Thesynonymsquarrelsomeandcontentiousaresometimesinterchangeable,butquarrelsomestressesanill-naturedreadinesstofightwithoutgoodcause. theheatmadeusallquarrelsome LearnMoreAboutcontentious Sharecontentious PostmorewordsforcontentioustoFacebook SharemorewordsforcontentiousonTwitter TimeTravelerforcontentious Thefirstknownuseofcontentiouswas inthe15thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury ListentoOurPodcastAboutcontentious ThememusicbyJoshuaStamper©2006NewJerusalemMusic/ASCAP GetWordoftheDaydeliveredtoyourinbox! SignUp FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster Trending:Pelosi:MeetingwasLengthy... Trending:Pelosi:MeetingwasLengthyandSometimes'Contentious' ThesaurusEntriesNearcontentious contentions contentious contentiousness SeeMoreNearbyEntries  CitethisEntry “Contentious.”Merriam-Webster.comThesaurus,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious.Accessed30Aug.2022. 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