1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a quarrelsome student who was always being sent to the principal's office for starting fights in the halls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contentious
given to arguing
you're so quarrelsome: you can never do anything without a fuss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarrelsome
In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.
—
Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
In the previous three years alone, the police had responded to a dozen incidents featuring the quarrelsome man.
—Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Stereophonic could be called a workplace drama, a quarrelsome family play or even an extended hangout, as much a vibe as a story.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The romantic pentagon’s members are quarrelsome, foolish, and discombobulated by the passage of time—characters often describe themselves as being a bore or a burden, or as having missed their moment.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
In the previous three years alone, the police had responded to a dozen incidents featuring the quarrelsome man.
—Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Stereophonic could be called a workplace drama, a quarrelsome family play or even an extended hangout, as much a vibe as a story.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The romantic pentagon’s members are quarrelsome, foolish, and discombobulated by the passage of time—characters often describe themselves as being a bore or a burden, or as having missed their moment.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrelsome
Adjective
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The tree has aggressive roots that can upend lawn turf and crack pavement.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
-
But the company’s aggressive marketing triggered backlash.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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The topic of banning phones at gigs has been a contentious one over the years, with artists wishing for fans to live in the moment, and fans desiring a chance to memorialize their concert experiences.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
19 June 2025
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That was displayed during a contentious exchange between Sen. Ted Cruz and conservative media figure Tucker Carlson.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Iraq: Iran, which shares a nearly 1,000-mile border with Iraq, has ties to Iraqi militant groups including Kataib Hezbollah, the Badr Organization, and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
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Bondi also shared that over 1,000 Iranian nationals have entered the country illegally in recent years and said law enforcement agencies are actively investigating them for possible ties to foreign militant groups.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.—
Louis Balsamo,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
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In 2020, the Encinitas City Council approved the construction of a new Sanderling Waldorf school on a controversial spot on Mays Hollow Lane near Quail Gardens Drive.—
Karen Billing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Syria has turned from a fertile ground to a hostile one for Iran and its assets, after the Assad regime was toppled in December.—
Lina Khatib,
Time,
19 June 2025
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By contrast, the U.S. had appeared openly skeptical and was often even seen as hostile.—
Ozan Ozerk,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
All of which can be employed by Musk or anyone else using AI to target us with false political advertising tailored to our most stubborn biases, further dividing us, manipulating elections and solidifying what has already become a fascist state.—
Sal Recchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 June 2025
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Then Curry, rattled by the monumental reverb of Kyrie’s shot, hurried into a stubborn approach on the ensuing possession, missed a desperate 3 over Kevin Love, who used his length and a rare display of defensive intensity to deny Curry a good look.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Her tone is free-associative, irritable and rat-a-tat.—
Alexandra Jacobs,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
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When an owner is distracted or irritable from work stress, the dog notices.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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European powers had withdrawn the crew’s belligerent status, and the new American president, Andrew Johnson, had excluded them from the general amnesty offered to Confederate soldiers.—
Francine Uenuma,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 June 2025
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On Tuesday, Trump adopted his most belligerent stance yet on Iran in a series of social media posts.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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