1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a quarrelsome student who was always being sent to the principal's office for starting fights in the halls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contentious
given to arguing
you're so quarrelsome: you can never do anything without a fuss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of quarrelsome
And what’s most important — indeed the principal reason for protecting the existence of a noisy, quarrelsome, factious, muckraking free press in our republic — is accountability.
—
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 23 Dec. 2025
All arms come from coal and steel and integrated industries would stop Europe’s most quarrelsome countries waging war on one another.
—Sara Stridsberg
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
He’s installed a pair of Brits, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, as the quarrelsome couple, and there are no two finer actors to take on the tangle of insults penned by Tony McNamara, who wrote the screenplay.
—Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
In the clip, 50 leans into his quarrelsome nature by, quite literally, delivering the beef while pulling a variety of items out of his DoorDash delivery bag, some of which seem meant to troll his No. 1 enemy at the moment, currently incarcerated Bad Boy Records founder Diddy.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 23 Dec. 2025
All arms come from coal and steel and integrated industries would stop Europe’s most quarrelsome countries waging war on one another.
—Sara Stridsberg
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
He’s installed a pair of Brits, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, as the quarrelsome couple, and there are no two finer actors to take on the tangle of insults penned by Tony McNamara, who wrote the screenplay.
—Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
In the clip, 50 leans into his quarrelsome nature by, quite literally, delivering the beef while pulling a variety of items out of his DoorDash delivery bag, some of which seem meant to troll his No. 1 enemy at the moment, currently incarcerated Bad Boy Records founder Diddy.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrelsome
Adjective
-
Extra deployments, additional monitoring of cameras, more intelligence sharing and even drone deployments are part of an aggressive, proactive approach in an elevated threat environment, officials say.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
But the World Cup presents a challenge for an administration that has placed aggressive immigration enforcement at the top of its agenda.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Firpi has appeared as either a psychological evaluator or guardian ad litem in numerous contentious custody battles.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
-
Water use is emerging as one of the most contentious data center issues.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The operation, according to the army’s statement, was conducted in the Mandara mountains, which form part of the militant group’s stronghold.—
Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
Israel’s strikes and ground invasion in Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah, and the militant group’s resistance to disarming, have complicated an overall deal to end the war in the Middle East.—
Kareem Chehayeb,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Charlotte City Council voted unanimously Monday to implement a 150-day moratorium on data centers after months of debate over how to handle the increasingly controversial projects.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
-
Many voters associate candidates with controversial politicians Crime, particularly extortion, was the overarching concern for voters.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Many Christians seek to keep a hostile world at bay by discouraging inquiry and critical thinking, by empowering theological enforcers, and by drawing narrow doctrinal boundaries.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
-
While some states would be hostile to public university athletes attempts to gain employment recognition, others might be more welcoming.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Colleges and universities nationwide continue to grapple with polemic issues associated with the fair treatment of individuals of differing backgrounds, political persuasions, and sexuality.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This kind of depravity, licentiousness and polemical theatrics has no place on such a traditional and once wholesome presentation of the coming of a new year in our great nation and especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the greatest experiment in democracy and freedom in history.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But Maguire, now 43, became sad and irritable, and didn’t want to be around his newborn.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Additionally, Owens' youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers have been looking into ways to reduce the stubborn inflammation HIV causes in the central nervous system.—
Smita S. Iyer,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The findings, published in 2025 in Brain Stimulation, point to a fundamentally new way of treating one of the most stubborn psychiatric conditions, using a miniaturized implant that delivers brief bursts of stimulation only during key moments of exposure therapy.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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