fractious

adjective

Definition of fractiousnext
1
as in contentious
given to disagreement or irritation At the end of what was a fractious campaign, the two former rivals were surprisingly able to settle some of their differences and work together.

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2
as in wild
difficult to manage or control Security guards were overwhelmed by the fractious crowd at the concert.

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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 fractious Britain has little money to spend, while the country’s political climate is becoming increasingly fractious. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 Japan in the late ’60s was a fractious place with riots. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 17 June 2026 The circumstances surrounding the exits vary, ranging from routine retirements, campus controversies, personal peccadillos, serious health issues, fractious relationships between campus leaders and governing boards, and visions of greener pastures. — Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 But the fractious fights on the right — especially when the president wades into the races — may not be completely solved even when the nominee is selected. — Stephen Fowler, NPR, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fractious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fractious
  1. contentious
  2. wild
  3. controversial
  4. defiant
  5. rebellious
  6. restive
  7. willful
  8. unreasonable
Adjective
  • An independent review of the scoring in Manny Pacquiao’s contentious WBO welterweight world title loss to Jeff Horn confirms the outcome in favor of the Australian.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Since 2024, singer Frank Carter has stepped into the role established by John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, who last performed with the band in 2008 and continues to have a contentious relationship with them.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • This setup, wherein a group of arbiters hide behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz and hand down decisions that inflict generational trauma on entire countries, almost feels purposefully built to invite all sorts of wild speculation.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • Great throng to roar out wild welcome as triumphant idol of golfdom returns … Bobby Jones is coming home today.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • The twice-annual practice of switching clocks has been controversial for many years, with nearly all Americans against the biannual change, according to a 2025 AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Their past two victories against Switzerland and Egypt came with the help of controversial calls that had the soccer-watching populace buzzing about potential favoritism toward Argentina.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • Juano Hernandez, one of the finest of all American actors, plays a proudly defiant Black man falsely accused of murder.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • Her face displays the trademark unibrow and faint mustache — a gender-bending look that, scholars say, reflects Kahlo’s defiant repudiation of the classic female aesthetic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Those who had made it to their seats sat around in the packed stadium and gradually grew restive.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
  • Iran’s new leaders are acutely aware that Iranians remain restive and expect the government to ease their economic plight.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2026
Definition of restive
Adjective
  • In 2018, the IRS closed the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), ending the formal disclosure program designed primarily for taxpayers with potential criminal exposure or willful violations relating to unreported offshore holdings.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Federal law generally prohibits direct service connection for addiction classified as resulting from willful misconduct.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of willful
Adjective
  • In a poll on the post, 95% voted that this parent is NOT being unreasonable.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 12 July 2026
  • Those arguments largely resonated with judge Stephen Lau, who said that six or seven days’ notice to move all of Williams’ belongings was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of unreasonable

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Cite this Entry

“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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