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
-
The Boston Red Sox could be aggressive, and have the prospects to swing a deal.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
In 1981, reggae artist Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital at age 36 after battling an aggressive skin cancer.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
This comes after a federal appeals court's April 21 decision to uphold a contentious Texas law requiring public school districts to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court fight.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
Fiery moments from the governor’s debate Democratic frontrunners Xavier Becerra and billionaire Tom Steyer faced fierce attacks Wednesday during a contentious gubernatorial debate in Los Angeles.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent years, much of it blamed on the TTP, a separate group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.—
Riaz Khan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
Israel and the militant group have repeatedly accused one another of violating the agreement.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The pitch is for the old Applied Composites site, on which a controversial development project called the Lexington Club received city approval more than a decade ago, but didn’t ultimately come about, according to the city.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Other roasters had also poked fun at Hart for taking part in the controversial fest.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Women, people of color, and first-generation professionals were too often told their accurate perceptions of hostile environments were merely internal distortions.—
Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
Others, like Michael (Doon Mackichan), seem openly hostile.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 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
-
That’s because the Moon is at odds with Mars today and everyone is irritable.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 May 2026
-
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel disease?—
Lindy Segal,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Abby, how does one work with stubborn husbands?—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Ahead, Katie Sullivan, the director of issue communications at the American Cleaning Institute, shares the best way to remove sticky, greasy residue from pot lids, at-home solutions for tackling even the most stubborn residue, and the one mistake to avoid that can make cleanup more difficult.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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