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

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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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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
  • Raman said the city has lost tens of thousands of film jobs under Bass and said Los Angeles needs a more aggressive film tax credit to compete with other states.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Philadelphia came out aggressive in the second half, took control of the game, and tied it in the 58th minute on a close-range header from Neil Pierre on a cross from Milan Iloski after a free kick.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Gonzalez appeared at a contentious July congressional hearing in which the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History director, Anthea Hartig, was grilled on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion in its programming.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Arsenal looks to repeat last season’s championship run, and their contentious loss to PSG in the Champions League final could serve as further incentive for Mikel Arteta’s squad to run riot.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • Cunningham's controversial remarks came in an ESPN interview last month, saying her position is a matter of common sense.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mayor Andre Dickens is opposing a controversial plan to move the famed Olympic cauldron from Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood.
    — Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • That 2023 event saw Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups kill 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals and abduct 251 people.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In early September, 1972, a Palestinian militant group called Black September infiltrated the Olympic Games in Munich and killed eleven Israeli athletes.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 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
  • Alice and Gemma really don’t seem to get along, and neither seems inclined to back down from their hostile postures.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The true target of the strike was Turkey, which has grown increasingly hostile toward Israel since the war in Gaza, and over its differing approach to Syria.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 18 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
  • Skipping meals can negatively affect blood sugar levels and leave you feeling hungry, irritable, and unable to pay attention.
    — Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 12 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 23 Aug. 2026.

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