argumentative

adjective

ar·​gu·​men·​ta·​tive ˌär-gyə-ˈmen-tə-tiv 

variants or less commonly argumentive

ˌär-gyə-ˈmen-tiv 

1

: given to argument : tending to argue : having or showing a tendency to disagree or argue with other people in an angry way : disputatious

He became argumentative when confronted with the allegation.

an argumentative temperament

… had been a pigheaded, argumentative, irascible, and unlikable man …

—Colleen McCullough

2

: consisting of or characterized by argument

argumentative discourse

aired their opinions in an argumentative way

argumentatively adverb

Synonyms

• contentious
• controversial
• disputatious
• polemical
• polemic
• quarrelsome
• scrappy

Examples of argumentative in a Sentence

He became more argumentative during the debate.

he's too argumentative to be part of a project in which teamwork is critical

Recent Examples on the Web

The false report came after an argumentative text message exchange between Alford and the woman that was sent while Alford was drinking, Ermine wrote. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025

Totting up working hours places us on Musk’s argumentative terrain. —Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025

While the folksy, friendly Readers’ Digest-style publications have faded, some thoughtful if politically argumentative ones still thrive – The Atlantic and The Economist, for example. —Peter Bart, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025

In 2020, a longtime bus driver was shot and killed by an argumentative passenger. —Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see argue

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for argumentative

• representative
• augmentative
• fermentative
• presentative
• preventative
• tentative
• unrepresentative

Kids Definition

argumentative

adjective

ar·​gu·​men·​ta·​tive ˌär-gyə-ˈment-ət-iv 

: marked by or given to argument : quarrelsome

argumentatively adverb