argumentative

adjective

ˌär-gyə-ˈmen-tə-tiv How to pronounce argumentative (audio)
Definition of argumentativenext
1
as in controversial
given to arguing he's too argumentative to be part of a project in which teamwork is critical

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2
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight an argumentative gang of bullies always looking for a fight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in contentious
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions a topic that sparked more than a few argumentative conversations around the watercooler

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 argumentative People with TBIs may have a shorter fuse, be more argumentative, display inappropriate behavior, make riskier decisions and begin abusing substances. — Donnisa Edmonds, jsonline.com, 31 July 2026 According to prosecutors, Burke and Rivas Hernandez exchanged argumentative text messages on April 22, 2025. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 23 July 2026 The argumentative duo are summoned to investigate a murder in rural Nebraska that has mysterious connections to dangerous extraterrestrials. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 July 2026 And that's especially true in a big, raucous, diverse, argumentative democracy like the United States of America. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for argumentative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for argumentative
  1. controversial
  2. aggressive
  3. contentious
  4. polemical
  5. militant
  6. stubborn
  7. hostile
  8. irritable
Adjective
  • Tuesday’s lawsuit is the fourth legal challenge brought against the president’s highly controversial monument.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Google has agreed to additional privacy protections ​in the wake of its controversial acquisition of ‌business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines, both the airline and unions representing former airline employees announced Tuesday.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • The son of a onetime Republican who worked for President Ronald Reagan, Colom garnered attention for his aggressive campaign as Democrats widened the Senate battleground map and Hyde-Smith's vulnerabilities crystallized.
    — BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • In an October report, Goldman Sachs observed that intense competition and aggressive discounting by global brands had dominated the retail landscape.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Skip to Main Content Concert Review The first of a historic five-night run at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was contentious and confounding.
    — DeAsia Paige, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The Ravens, meanwhile, are 4-4 and sit at the bottom of a contentious AFC North.
    — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • These answers become polemic (for want of anything more interesting or, dare to say it, insightful) and the world keeps on spinning.
    — Sam Peskin, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Speaking a few weeks after the launch of Tom Cruise-starring satirical polemic Digger, Wishart feels docs and features about this subject matter have become overly preachy.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of polemical
Adjective
  • Some reports have alleged tacit cooperation between Ansar Allah and the Al-Shabab militant group in Somalia as well.
    — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenkot has laid out a series of conditions for any Arab party to join his coalition, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and declaring the Palestinian militant group Hamas a terrorist organization.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • But Democrats face a tall task ahead, economists say, especially because the broader economic challenges that vexed voters stem from global conflicts like the Iran war and stubborn inflation.
    — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • With corporate profits and consumer spending remaining healthy, layoffs also remain low despite stubborn inflation and recent jitters in the stock market over whether the pace of AI investment is sustainable.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Its ability to strike land targets from considerable distances allows naval forces to conduct precision attacks without moving their launch platforms close to hostile territory.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • North Korea’s constitution had been offline since March 2024, months after Kim had declared at a party plenary meeting in late 2023 that the two Koreas are separate, hostile states.
    — Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • And this new Godzilla, entirely computer-generated, is an irritable muscle of spikes and scales, or like a sort of angry gothic pineapple.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Murray says her own experience has made her more understanding when female colleagues seem more tired or irritable than usual, particularly when the behavior is out of character.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritable

Browse Nearby Words

argumentations
argumentative
arguments
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Cite this Entry

“Argumentative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argumentative. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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