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
Relevance
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
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 quarrelsome
The magisterium seems intact, even among the often quarrelsome American branch.
—
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 9 May 2025
And what of the fact that Snow White, abandoned in the woods (where the Huntsman is too kindhearted to carry out the Evil Queen’s order to murder her), comes upon a cottage where seven cute, quarrelsome 249-year-old short men with Amish beards live in bachelor squalor and become her protectors?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Not even Caplan, whose one-note portrayal of a quarrelsome congresswoman is enough to make one yearn for the subtleties and emotional shadings of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.
—Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 9 May 2025
And what of the fact that Snow White, abandoned in the woods (where the Huntsman is too kindhearted to carry out the Evil Queen’s order to murder her), comes upon a cottage where seven cute, quarrelsome 249-year-old short men with Amish beards live in bachelor squalor and become her protectors?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Mar. 2025
Not even Caplan, whose one-note portrayal of a quarrelsome congresswoman is enough to make one yearn for the subtleties and emotional shadings of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
—Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.
—Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrelsome
Adjective
-
Sell assets for picks and cap space and attack an aggressive rebuild this offseason.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Control an aggressive infestation with a preemergent herbicide applied in late summer before chickweed seeds germinate.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
China began conducting the contentious patrols after a February 2024 accident in which two Chinese fishermen drowned near Kinmen while fleeing from Taiwan’s coast guard.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Appointing James Bunce as performance director, having worked with him before at Monaco, was arguably the best decision of Mitchell’s short — and contentious — tenure.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As such, the political and militant body – which has governed the territory since June 2007 – will need to be in a desperate situation to accept the terms.—
Asher Kaufman,
The Conversation,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Trump’s peace plan has backed Hamas into a corner, leaving the militant group to face an existential dilemma.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Daniels also said the bill could conflict with the higher education overhaul, Senate Bill 1, which prohibits universities from taking a position on controversial beliefs or policies.—
Jessie Balmert,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But residents are demanding reassurance that the land won’t be used for controversial projects dividing other communities, such as data centers.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tampa is heading into a hostile environment against a feisty Seattle Seahawks team that matches them with a 3-1 record.—
Josh Buckhalter,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Republicans, traditionally seen as more hostile to government, are often viewed as the shutdown aggressors.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Originally bred in Germany to hunt badgers, these small canines are energetic, bold and stubborn.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Both options meant navigating some stubborn supporters.—
Kevin Coulson,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
However, such symptoms are hard to attribute to vaccines because infants can be irritable or fussy regardless of vaccination.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
-
When the caffeine wears off, children may have a headache and feel irritable or tired.—
Dr. Mark Corkins,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Second, having quickly been identified by internet bloodhounds, the actual offending Polish paving magnate issued a belligerent non-apology.—
NEAL RUBIN,
Freep.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Medvedev, a former president of Russia and an ally of incumbent President Vladimir Putin, has been known to make belligerent comments against the West, which have likely been approved by the Kremlin.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share