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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Recent Examples of rancorous
But the film could have used more of the rancorous triangle formed by Enrichetta, her mother and Duse’s monastically devoted and territorial Austrian assistant, Desiree (Fanni Wrochna).
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
McNamara and Roach have done away with that framing device, replacing DeVito’s divorce attorney with a rancorous couples therapy session.
—Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The last couple years have been marked by intense and often rancorous debates around Judaism, within both the community writ large and nuclear units like the Schwoopers.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
Even as the pair’s relationship grew rancorous, the company kept growing, reaching revenue of just over $700 million in 2018.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
McNamara and Roach have done away with that framing device, replacing DeVito’s divorce attorney with a rancorous couples therapy session.
—Katie Walsh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The last couple years have been marked by intense and often rancorous debates around Judaism, within both the community writ large and nuclear units like the Schwoopers.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
Even as the pair’s relationship grew rancorous, the company kept growing, reaching revenue of just over $700 million in 2018.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous
Adjective
-
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in an acrimonious parting of the ways following a referendum in which 99 percent of South Sudanese backed independence.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The most recent season saw Maggie helping her daughter Sarah pick up the pieces of her life after an acrimonious divorce from Xander.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
So what actually makes Powell angry?—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Shein’s new brick-and-mortar store—its first in the world—sticks out like a sore thumb.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The Clippers were missing two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and guard Bradley Beal (sore knee) in a lopsided 126-107 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a bitter fight highlighting the differences between the NFL's old guard and newer owners.—
NPR,
NPR,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Arugula Arugula is an aromatic, slightly bitter leafy green.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The crimes with which she has been charged are trumped up and her arrest is a cynical ploy by the junta headed by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to cling onto power.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Is Alec’s folksiness sincere or cynical?—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The story revolves around a famous film director and his pianist wife, who are held hostage by a resentful background actor.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Tessa is more resentful, blaming Nathan’s leadership to the bitter end.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Short, balding and deeply insecure, the embittered Hart (Ethan Hawke) offers some disingenuous congratulations, but can’t mask his contempt for Rodgers’ new writing partner and their swoony, uncynical show.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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Though Dyer’s Colette is the closest thing the DMV ensemble has to a lead, its brightest star is Gregg, a fellow examiner played by Tim Meadows with the embittered misery of someone who understands his existence as a cosmic joke.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After joining Alpha Genesis that December, Strickland needed a few days to adjust to the acrid smell of the grounds—feces shot through with ammonia—and to the codes of behavior governing human-macaque interactions.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Day turned to night as thick, acrid clouds blackened the sky.—
Robert Wyss,
The Conversation,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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