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
In the previous three years alone, the police had responded to a dozen incidents featuring the quarrelsome man.
—
Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Stereophonic could be called a workplace drama, a quarrelsome family play or even an extended hangout, as much a vibe as a story.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The romantic pentagon’s members are quarrelsome, foolish, and discombobulated by the passage of time—characters often describe themselves as being a bore or a burden, or as having missed their moment.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The battlegrounds have also multiplied, from a few notoriously quarrelsome parent councils to traditionally peaceful spots around the city.
—Troy Closson, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Stereophonic could be called a workplace drama, a quarrelsome family play or even an extended hangout, as much a vibe as a story.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The romantic pentagon’s members are quarrelsome, foolish, and discombobulated by the passage of time—characters often describe themselves as being a bore or a burden, or as having missed their moment.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The battlegrounds have also multiplied, from a few notoriously quarrelsome parent councils to traditionally peaceful spots around the city.
—Troy Closson, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for quarrelsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrelsome
Adjective
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Nonprofits focused on such issues could be seen as antagonistic to the company’s aggressive commercialization efforts.—
Hayden Field,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
-
The 82-year-old was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among men, with 1 in 8 being diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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In that same post, Swift highlighted her contentious history with Braun, largely via his work with her longtime foe, Kanye West.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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This public WiFi hijacking threat is almost as contentious as juice-jacking amongst cyber experts.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The ceasefire plan, which has been approved by Israeli officials, won a cool initial reaction Thursday from the militant group, but President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiators were nearing a deal.—
ABDEL KAREEM HANA,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2025
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In December, after years of stalemate in the war, Assad’s long-standing authoritarian regime collapsed, in the face of an unexpected offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist militant group once affiliated with al-Qaida.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Even so, deciding what counts as a species turns out to be surprisingly difficult and highly controversial.—
Elay Shech,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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The appearance, and his latest announcement, appear to clear the way for the controversial deal at a time that long-time allies Japan and the United States find themselves in the middle of a trade war.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Some of countries in the continent that are rich in uranium, such as Niger and Gabon, may be delicate or difficult to deal with in the near term as both underwent military coups recently, with Niger turning hostile toward the French and more toward the Russians.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET and Pacers fans are sure to bring the energy and create a hostile atmosphere for New York.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Of course, stubborn coach Tom Thibodeau went with his only play, a Jalen Brunson iso, while the starters huffed and puffed from playing nearly the entire game.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
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United needed to play perfect football to unlock a stubborn defence, but struggled to push past competency.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The crew is under the supervision of the capable Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) who is prone to panic attacks as the group visits an irritable planet at the behest of The Corporation — a powerful business conglomerate where profit is indeed king.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
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It’s said to cause people to become irritable, aggravate health problems, and abrade mechanical devices.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Image In pursuit of the presidency, Mr. Simion has muted the belligerent, often xenophobic message that dominated his early career as a public figure, which began with involvement in groups of nationalist soccer fans known as ultras.—
Andrew Higgins,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Markets fall on Trump's trade comments U.S. stocks fell Tuesday after Trump gave belligerent comments on trade deals.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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