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

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of contentious The state has seen contentious gubernatorial primaries, notably in 2018, and this year, when the Democratic field was so crowded that party leaders urged low-polling candidates, including Becerra, to drop out. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 These electoral benefits indicate voters may reward investments even when the policies that created them remain politically contentious. — Kayla Morton, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 Tucked away on the Justice Department’s fifth floor, the two dozen or so lawyers at the OLC are charged with assessing the legality of actions the executive branch wants to take, especially those that are novel or likely to be contentious. — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026 But there are uncertainties ahead, including MLB labor negotiations, which will address the contentious question of a player salary cap and could result in a prolonged work stoppage in 2027. — Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contentious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentious

Adjective

Bam Adebayo wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive side of the ball, which has been a consistent story line of his nine-year NBA career.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
On a network like this, rule-breaking often isn’t aggressive at all.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

This is not a sudden shift in attitude to defend a controversial CBA.

— Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Meta backlash is global Criticism goes beyond Nieman Lab’s reporting, as news groups globally urge regulators to intervene and block Meta’s controversial terms from kicking in.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of controversial

Adjective

Jarman, who came in as the defending champion on the event, put together a more difficult routine but was nicked by judges for his execution.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
This is the last remaining game on the schedule that should be very difficult.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Labor lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the militant Islamic State group.

— Rod McGuirk, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of militant

Adjective

The title that evokes Ernest Hemingway points at the polemical nature of some of the essays in the book.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Even so, the film’s gaze is more anthropological than polemical, especially given the faux-doc vibe created by its abundant handheld camerawork, seemingly filmed sometimes by the actors themselves.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of polemical

Adjective

About 70% of the members of Brazil’s lower house and 80% of the Senate are considered to be hostile to environmental and climate agendas, according to the observatory.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
In a turnabout from Orbán’s hostile approach to Kyiv, Magyar’s government has expressed solidarity with Ukraine and designated Russia a national security threat.

— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hostile

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“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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