rancorous

adjective

ran·​cor·​ous ˈraŋ-k(ə-)rəs How to pronounce rancorous (audio)
: marked by rancor : deeply malevolent
rancorous envy
rancorously adverb

Examples of rancorous in a Sentence

a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him
Recent Examples on the Web Episode 5 aired the Sunday after Election Day and conducts itself in rancorous spasms. Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 Whether such logic, and such a tranquil plea for moral decency, will lay the rumors to rest, and shame the rancorous, is open to question. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024 The new law passed through the legislature unanimously, a remarkable feat for a rancorous body that has spent weeks fighting — at one point, almost literally — over the smallest of slights and policy changes. Emily Cochrane, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The attack comes as members of Congress in recent years have dealt with persistent menacing messages and threats — sometimes fueled by the rancorous political climate, though there was no indication that was behind Monday’s incident. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 15 May 2023 Recent reports from institutes under China’s ruling party, military and state security ministry point to the rancorous polarization in the United States ahead of the next election. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 In fact, Frehley says his relationships with his former bandmates are not as rancorous as is often reported. Gary Graff, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Despite his intense and often rancorous talks with Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials, Blinken has only been able to eke out limited concessions. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023 But in America, there are also signs of an underlying civility growing in the shadow of rancorous political divides. Marshall Ingwerson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rancorous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1517, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rancorous was circa 1517

Dictionary Entries Near rancorous

Cite this Entry

“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rancorous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

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