disputatious

adjective

ˌdi-spyə-ˈtā-shəs How to pronounce disputatious (audio)
Definition of disputatiousnext
1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight a long history of little wars waged by the disputatious countries occupying that European peninsula

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contentious
given to arguing a disputatious professor who could give you an argument on just about anything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in controversial
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions dismayed at the prospect of enduring another disputatious meeting of the school board

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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 disputatious Trump has pioneered a style of communication that exploits our distracted, disputatious age. — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026 Its titular Pebble and Clod might remind you of characters in a picture book or a TV show — disputatious friends like Frog and Toad or Ernie and Bert. — New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026 In other words, students prepare for citizenship in a disputatious society by practicing the civic arts—by asserting and advocating for their views—not by meekly absorbing lessons from their instructors. — Christopher L. Eisgruber, Time, 9 Oct. 2025 The potential for sharp, disputatious cultural criticism has arguably slackened. — David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025 The film shows the occasionally disputatious relationship between Marvin and her grandparents, who raised her. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Jan. 2025 Hoback followed Back to a Bitcoin conference in Riga, Latvia, where Back introduced him to one of his younger protégés, a prominent if disputatious Bitcoin developer named Peter Todd. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2024 This disputatious sociopolitical drama is cunningly packaged as a romantic comedy. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputatious
  1. aggressive
  2. contentious
  3. controversial
  4. militant
  5. polemical
  6. hostile
  7. quarrelsome
  8. irritable
Adjective
  • His preference for a 4-2-3-1 has been evident, however, and the German is looking for Newcastle to be aggressive in the press, intensive and also direct, with a plan to get the ball forward as quickly as possible.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Throughout his scuffles, however, Boone felt Grisham had gotten more aggressive inside the strike zone.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Stassi Anastassov, former Duracell CEO, has taken the helm at Ferretti Group following a contentious boardroom battle, despite his lack of prior yachting experience.
    — Bill Springer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • At a contentious Senate hearing in July 2021, Paul repeatedly clashed with Fauci and accused him of lying about the government funding research in Wuhan.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • The fallout from that controversial attempt has divided the soccer landscape, with continental confederations and individual national associations all split on whether a change in FIFA leadership is needed.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This curved, laughing hyena is a reference to the Laffer Curve, a famous — and controversial — economic theory named after economist Arthur Laffer.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • Abductions at schools are common in Nigeria, where militant groups target them to put pressure on the government and extract ransoms.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The agreement, part of a broader ceasefire deal reached last year, calls for Israel to cease its military operations and for Hamas and its allies in Gaza to halt all militant activity.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 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
  • The high risk of – and challenges of addressing – oil spills and other safety incidents in the hostile Arctic climate are another dissuading factor, as are environmental costs of operating there.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The episode picks up when Bret and Robert have their first tense interaction — their vaguely hostile and lightly homoerotic back-and-forth continues to be the highlight of the show for me.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Volatile, quarrelsome, dogmatic, and sure of his own brilliance, Reinhold outraged patrons, amassed huge debts, and turned his eldest son into an exhausted workhorse.
    — Jenny Uglow, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • The toys, like the perpetually quarrelsome Woody and Buzz or Jessie the cowgirl, who now takes center stage, have seen their boy and girl owners grow up and leave them behind.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 June 2026
Definition of quarrelsome
Adjective
  • Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, an irritable, cynical weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to report a story about the town’s quaint groundhog ceremony.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Whether a balanced market can be achieved with competing cartels will be an interesting experiment in a sometimes-irritable trade relationship.
    — Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritable

Browse Nearby Words

disputations
disputatious
disputatiousness
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Cite this Entry

“Disputatious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputatious. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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