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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 These were the opposing sides of a contentious lawsuit last year that threatened to create significant upheaval within NASCAR. — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Animal-rights activists last year held long and often contentious debates over the hunt, buying up about one-third of the permits themselves to keep them from hunters’ hands. — Zoey Thomas, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026 The source was unable to disclose which points were most contentious. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026 Mac and cheese is a surprisingly contentious dish, one that has many fans who have equally as many opinions. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contentious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentious

Adjective

On one hand, the aggressive expansion of data centers is intensifying competition for finite resources like land and water, putting them in direct conflict with agricultural land use in certain regions.

— , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
Harsh cleaners and aggressive scrubbing can damage these surfaces.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

But it's been hard as a journalist to watch the wall-to-wall coddling of one of the most controversial figures of the past decade.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
So, that means the new book by Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, has been a little controversial in some circles.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of controversial

Adjective

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
And widespread adoption by farmers is challenging because perennial crops don’t yield as much, harvesting can be difficult and the market still is developing.

— Joshua A. Bickel, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

There are concerns that the Houthis' advance toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could have significant ramifications for energy markets and global trade, particularly if the militant group ratchets up threats or attacks on Red Sea shipping.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003, accused of developing and directing the 9/11 attacks, as a leader of the Islamic militant group Al Qaeda.

— Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of militant

Adjective

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
Now, in the 1500s and 1600s, that phrase was often used by Catholics in their polemical war against Protestants.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

Definition of polemical

Adjective

Worse, her estranged sister April (Naomi Watts), a drama queen, and hostile mother, Diane (Dianne Wiest), fly in from their Michigan hair salon to add to Sandra’s suffering.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
European authorities have linked Moscow to a rising number of drone incursions, sabotage incidents, cyberattacks, and other hostile acts across the continent in recent months.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of hostile

Adjective

Her work combined British tailoring and historical references with deliberately confrontational elements, enthusiasts say.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
This may or may not be confrontational, but you could be suddenly held accountable for your words.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of confrontational

Adjective

Current and former employees said Allen is largely an absentee leader who is combative and who put his workers in harm’s way by not acting sooner to address building concerns prior to a roof collapse last year.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026
With the midterm election just weeks away, Democrats laced into Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a combative House hearing Tuesday.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of combative

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“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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