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.

Related Words

Relevance

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

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 Nissan’s annual general meeting, held in June after Fortune’s conversation with Espinosa, was particularly fractious. — Andrew Staples, Fortune, 3 July 2026 The legislative impasse before the Fourth of July weekend dealt another blow to Speaker Mike Johnson, who has struggled to rein in an increasingly fractious and razor-thin majority in the chamber. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 July 2026 All of which is to say that unless the whole thing is just an extended goof designed to boost engagement, the vibes are pretty fractious chez Fox. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 June 2026 Britain has little money to spend, while the country’s political climate is becoming increasingly fractious. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 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
  • In Cairo, two Egyptian sources said Hamas had agreed to several contentious points, including the handover of weapons, but had requested changes regarding the definition of the infrastructure to be dismantled, adding more talks were underway.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 31 July 2026
  • With tariffs pushing up prices of goods and energy markets swinging on geopolitical news, the Federal Reserve’s policymaking committee concluded its July 2026 meeting with a contentious 9-3 vote to hold interest rates steady.
    — Brandy Hadley, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of contentious
Adjective
  • Get ready for a day that feels almost as wild as the land itself.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The prospect cost was likely going to be high if Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the front office invested in upgrades to a roster currently holding the top National League wild-card position.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • Hilton, born Mario Lavandeira, gained fame after launching his highly popular gossip website in the early Aughts and garnered notoriety for his unapologetic and often controversial take on celebrities’ lives.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Italy has also pointed to Ceuta to push forward a controversial plan, forged in Italy's partnership with Albania, to move migrant screenings outside of the EU.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of controversial
Adjective
  • Bea will play Julia Hanley, a defiant and magnetic Irish photographer who sees past Tom’s world-changing ambition to the man beneath it, redefining his life through love.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Aegon will have none of it and begins his rousing, defiant speech.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • This shift has moved in tandem with the growing dynamic of parliamentarians becoming more rebellious and less loyal to their leadership.
    — Garret Martin, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
  • John Mellencamp's rebellious spirit drives him Along with his status as blue-collar rocker, Mellencamp is also a respected artist.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • However, in September 2025, Nepal’s restive Gen Z population shocked the world (and the country’s gerontocracy) by taking to the streets to demand change.
    — Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Burnham, from Britain’s left-leaning Labour Party, faces restive voters seeking relief from the high cost of living.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of restive
Adjective
  • While some households may have tax debts due to willful negligence, others may accrue large unpaid balances for innocent reasons and don’t have the money to repay, experts said.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • In the case of a willful failure to comply with the law, the company can be liable for actual or statutory damages and punitive damages.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of willful
Adjective
  • Which is not entirely unreasonable given this very specific set of circumstances.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Recalls are issued when vehicle owners, regulators, or manufacturers determine that a potentially faulty component presents an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet specified standards.
    — Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of unreasonable

Browse Nearby Words

fractions
fractious
fractiousness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Fractious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fractious. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on fractious

Nglish: Translation of fractious for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All