RANCOROUS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

rancorous

adjective

ˈraŋ-k(ə-)rəs

Definition of rancorous

as in acrimonious

having or showing deep-seated resentment a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him

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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 rancorous When headlines are filled with the fluctuations of gas prices, various branches of the federal government undertake rancorous investigations. — Daniel Yergin, Time, 20 June 2026 Amid rancorous debates over Israel, some Jewish leaders warn that anti-Zionism has spilled over into antisemitism, encouraging segments of the party to question not just Israeli policy but also the participation of Jews in American political life. — Matthew Schmitz, Washington Post, 29 May 2026 The meeting was mostly a polite affair, free from some of the rancorous shouting in past IACC meetings. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026 Mourinho, the 63-year-old finally living the dream of managing his boyhood club after a rancorous nine-game stint at the start of his coaching career, celebrating with a starry-eyed kid dreaming of being on the pitch for the first team one day. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rancorous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous

Adjective

Predictably, this set off a furious round of acrimonious criticism, know-it-all navel-gazing, and schadenfreude.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
For much of the summer, that competition has seemed, if not friendly, at least not openly acrimonious.

— Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of acrimonious

Adjective

Why would anyone want to do this in a game about an angry, unkillable mutant with claws sharp enough to cut through space-time?

— Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Seehorn carried a heavy load as its lead, playing a sad, angry woman forced to save the world from happiness and the hive mind.

— Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Sophomore Duke Clark impressed with 65 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while explosive Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, sidelined by a sore hip, should eventually be a factor.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
The two-month conflict, which killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service members and three islanders, remains a sore point in Argentina more than four decades later.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of sore

Adjective

After years of upheaval in Florida State athletics—including a then-unprecedented flirtation with private equity and a bitter legal fight with the Atlantic Coast Conference—the school has parted ways with athletic director Michael Alford.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Of course, Kiffin left, a bitter and acrimonious separation that played out over 14 agonizing days, just as the Rebels prepped for their first College Football Playoff game in history.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

The film is certainly casting a spell, and whether or not that’s simply cynical (and insidiously effective) marketing doesn’t much matter when you’re caught up in it.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
There’s rom-com-style banter between Alice and her colleague Danny (Scoot McNairy), and cynical mentorship from FBI agent Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who has seen enough to drive her to drink.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

While all sides are feeling the economic impact and loss of tourism, some are heartened and others resentful.

— Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026
By gradually accomplishing a de-facto annexation of the West Bank, the settlements would require Israeli Jews either to rule over a resentful non-Jewish population of about equal size or to surrender the Jewish identity of their state.

— David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of resentful

Adjective

In one scene, Amy heroically assuages an embittered foster kid by returning him to the memory of a fun school field trip.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
The phone-comedy discussion followed a scene in which Julie Kessler and Billy Epstein, the proudly embittered struggling comedians played by Klausner and Eichner, confront an up-and-coming digital creator.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of embittered

Adjective

All law enforcement smell the same, like acrid bile buried in roses.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Finding places to play Eight miles from central Nairobi, the air over the Dandora landfill is gauzy with the acrid, chemical smoke of burning garbage.

— Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of acrid

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“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rancorous

adjective

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