Thesaurus
Synonyms & Antonyms of contentious
1
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
- the Tartars were a contentious people who terrorized much of Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages
Synonyms for contentious
Words Related to contentious
- acidic,
- 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,
- waspish
Phrases Synonymous with contentious
Near Antonyms for contentious
Antonyms for contentious
2
given to arguing
- a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing
Synonyms for contentious
- argumentative,
- controversial,
- disputatious,
- polemical
- (also polemic),
- quarrelsome,
- scrappy
Words Related to contentious
- aggressive,
- bellicose,
- belligerent,
- combative,
- gladiatorial,
- militant,
- pugnacious,
- truculent,
- warlike
- hardheaded,
- headstrong,
- mulish,
- obdurate,
- obstinate,
- pigheaded,
- resistant,
- self-opinionated,
- self-willed,
- stubborn,
- unbending,
- uncompromising,
- uncooperative,
- unreasonable,
- unyielding,
- willful
- (or wilful)
Near Antonyms for contentious
3
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
- gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion
Synonyms for contentious
- argumentative,
- controversial,
- disputatious,
- hot-button,
- polemical
- (also polemic)
Words Related to contentious
- delicate,
- difficult,
- knotty,
- problematic
- (also problematical),
- spiny,
- thorny,
- ticklish,
- touchy,
- tough
Near Antonyms for contentious
Antonyms for contentious
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Time Traveler for contentious
The first known use of contentious was in the 15th century
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