Synonyms for contentious
kənˈtɛn ʃəscon·tentious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. contentious

   Synonyms:
   adverse, alienated, antagonistic, bellicose, belligerent, cold, disaffected, distant, estranged, frigid, hostile, ill-disposed, indifferent, inimical, unfriendly, unkind, warlike

   Antonyms:
   accessible, affable, affectionate, amicable, brotherly, companionable, complaisant, cordial, favorable, fond, friendly, genial, hearty, kind, kindly, loving, neighborly, sociable, social, tender, well-disposed

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. contentious

   Synonyms:
   litigious, perverse, wayward, splenetic, cantankerous, exceptions

   Antonyms:
   pacific, obliging, considerate, obsequious, accommodating, easy

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. contentious, combative, disputatious, disputative, litigiousadjective

   inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits

   "a style described as abrasive and contentious"; "a disputatious lawyer"; "a litigious and acrimonious spirit"

   Synonyms:
   bellicose, agonistic, battleful, agonistical, litigious, disputative, combative, disputatious

   Antonyms:
   unargumentative, uncontroversial, noncontroversial

2. contentiousadjective

   involving or likely to cause controversy

   "a central and contentious element of the book"- Tim W.Ferfuson

   Synonyms:
   litigious, disputatious, combative, disputative

   Antonyms:
   unargumentative, uncontroversial, noncontroversial

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. propensity to fight

   tending to frequently contend

   you are a contentious person. the vandals were a contentious people.

   Submitted by rinat on August 11, 2019  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. contentiousadjective

   Synonyms:
   quarrelsome, cross, petulant, perverse

2. contentiousadjective

   Synonyms:
   disputatious, captious, cavilling

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. contentiousadjective

   Synonyms:
   disputatious, litigious, quarrelsome, dissentious, polemical

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "contentious":

   controversial, disputed, contested, litigious, debatable, questionable, polemical, thorny, confrontational, conflicting

How to pronounce contentious?

How to say contentious in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use contentious in a sentence?

1. Richard Peck:

   Would we be here in the absence of U.S. sanctions law, and ... our response is no, in a typical case, double criminality is not contentious. This case, however, is founded on an allegation of breach of U.S. sanctions, sanctions which Canada has expressly repudiated.

2. Chuang-tzu, On Leveling All Things:

   Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous.

3. Hillary Clinton:

   It would be a mistake to really thrust our country into another contentious national debate about how we're going to provide quality, affordable healthcare to everybody.

4. Dieter Kempf:

   I regret the fact that the chancellor's visit to Washington produced no palpable progress on the contentious issues between Germany and the United States.

5. Hillary Clinton:

   President Obama’s decision to seek normalized relations with Cuba sets up new challenges for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for the White House if Hillary Clinton chooses to run … Hillary Clinton talked of recommending that President Obama end the embargo toward the end of Hillary Clinton term as President Obama secretary of State. Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton husband, Hillary Clinton, have a contentious history with the Cuban-American population in Florida that goes back to the fight over Elian Gonzalez, the Cuban child whom the president allowed to be returned to his father in Havana after Elian Gonzalez fled to Florida with Elian Gonzalez mother, who died on the voyage … Former Sen. Mel Martinez( R-Fla.) , who left Cuba as a child, predicted that the move by Obama on Wednesday would affect the Cuban-American vote in a way that would not be good for President Obama or Hillary Clinton … He also warned that the actions will remind Cuban-Americans of the Hillary Clinton policies toward Cuba that they opposed, as well as the Elian Gonzalez incident. ‘ It's a reminder, ’ he said. ‘ I think all of that gets revived. ’.