CONTENTIOUS: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for CONTENTIOUS?

Need another word that means the same as “contentious”? Find 34 synonyms and 30 related words for “contentious” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Contentious” are: combative, disputatious, disputative, litigious, controversial, disputable, debatable, disputed, open to debate, open to question, moot, vexed, heated, vehement, fierce, violent, intense, impassioned, committed, argumentative, quarrelsome, confrontational, captious, factious, pugnacious, ready for a fight, defiant, hostile, antagonistic, bellicose, belligerent, militant, warring, fighting

Contentious as an Adjective

Definitions of "Contentious" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “contentious” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits.
• Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.
• Involving or likely to cause controversy.
• Relating to or involving differences between contending parties.
• Involving heated argument.
• (of a person) given to provoking argument.
• Involving or likely to cause controversy- Tim W.Ferfuson.

Synonyms of "Contentious" as an adjective (34 Words)

antagonistic	Characterized by antagonism or antipathy. An antagonistic group of bystanders.
argumentative	Given to or characterized by argument. An intelligent but argumentative child.
bellicose	Having or showing a ready disposition to fight. A mood of bellicose jingoism.
belligerent	Engaged in war. A belligerent tone.
captious	Tending to find and call attention to faults. A captious teacher.
combative	Ready or eager to fight or argue. A combative impulse.
committed	Associated in an exclusive sexual relationship. Committed church members.
confrontational	Tending to deal with situations in an aggressive way; hostile or argumentative. He distanced himself from the confrontational approach adopted by his predecessor.
controversial	Giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement. Years of wrangling over a controversial bypass.
debatable	Open to discussion or argument. It is debatable whether the country is coming out of recession.
defiant	Showing defiance. Brought up to be aggressive and defiant.
disputable	Open to argument or debate. Whether it can be described as art criticism may be disputable.
disputatious	Fond of having heated arguments. It s a congenial hang out for disputatious academics.
disputative	Inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits.
disputed	Subject to disagreement and debate.
factious	Relating or inclined to dissension. A factious country.
fierce	(of a mechanism) having a jolting and powerful abruptness of action. Fierce loyalty.
fighting	Engaged in or ready for military or naval operations. He put up his fists and took a fighting stance.
heated	Made warm or hot het is a dialectal variant of heated. A heated swimming pool.
hostile	Very unfavorable to life or growth. A hostile remark.
impassioned	Filled with or showing great emotion. She made an impassioned plea for help.
intense	Extremely sharp or intense. A burning and intense look.
litigious	Tending or too ready to take legal action to settle disputes. Our increasingly litigious society.
militant	Engaged in war. Militant in fighting for better wages for workers.
moot	Subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty. Whether they had been successful or not was a moot point.
open to debate	Of an interval that contains neither of its endpoints.
open to question	Ready or willing to receive favorably.
pugnacious	Tough and callous by virtue of experience. Pugnacious spirits lamented that there was so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance.
quarrelsome	Given to quarreling. A moody quarrelsome man.
ready for a fight	Mentally disposed.
vehement	Characterized by great force or energy. Her voice was low but vehement.
vexed	Troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances. The vexed parents of an unruly teenager.
violent	Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions inclined to react violently fervid. Violent dislike.
warring	(of two or more people or groups) in conflict with each other. Warring factions.

Usage Examples of "Contentious" as an adjective

• A central and contentious element of the book.
• A style described as abrasive and contentious.
• A contentious issue.
• The socio-economic plan had been the subject of contentious debate.

Associations of "Contentious" (30 Words)

argue	Present reasons and arguments. She was too tired to argue the point.
argument	An independent variable associated with a function or proposition and determining its value For example in the expression y F x x the arguments of the function F are x and x and the value is y. The argument over foreign aid goes on and on.
argumentative	Given to or characterized by argument. An argumentative child.
bellicose	Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight. Bellicose young officers.
belligerent	Engaged in war. A conference of socialists from all belligerent countries.
bicker	(of a flame or light) flash, gleam, or flicker. Against the glass the rain did beat and bicker.
combative	Inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits. A combative impulse.
competition	The contestant you hope to defeat. The competition for university places is greater than ever this year.
confrontational	Of or relating to confrontation. He distanced himself from the confrontational approach adopted by his predecessor.
contend	Succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available. He contended that Communism had no future.
contention	A point asserted as part of an argument. The teams were in fierce contention for first place.
controversial	Giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement. Rushdie s controversial book.
controversy	Prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion. The announcement ended a protracted controversy.
debatable	Open to discussion or argument. It is debatable whether the country is coming out of recession.
debate	Have an argument about something. John debated Mary.
discord	Lack of harmony between notes sounding together. A prosperous family who showed no signs of discord.
discussion	An exchange of views on some topic. We had a good discussion.
disputable	Capable of being disproved. Whether it can be described as art criticism may be disputable.
disputatious	Fond of having heated arguments. A disputatious lawyer.
dispute	A disagreement or argument about something important. He taught and disputed with local poets.
fight	The act of fighting any contest or struggle. They were fighting over who pays the bill.
issue	Supplies as food or clothing or ammunition issued by the government. He died without issue.
litigious	Concerned with lawsuits or litigation. A litigious and acrimonious spirit.
polemical	Of or involving dispute or controversy. A polemical essay.
pugnacious	Tough and callous by virtue of experience. His public statements became increasingly pugnacious.
quarrelsome	Given to quarreling. Quarrelsome when drinking.
refutable	Able to be refuted.
rivalry	The act of competing as for profit or a prize. There always has been intense rivalry between the clubs.
wrangle	An instance of intense argument (as in bargaining. Wrangle horses.
wrangling	Engagement in a long, complicated dispute or argument. Weeks of political wrangling.