contentious
adjective
con·ten·tious kən-ˈten(t)-shəs 
1
: likely to cause disagreement or argument
a contentious issue
2
: exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes
a man of a most contentious nature
contentiously adverb
contentiousness noun
Synonyms
- aggressive
- agonistic
- argumentative
- assaultive
- bellicose
- belligerent
- brawly
- chippy
- combative
- confrontational
- discordant
- disputatious
- feisty
- gladiatorial
- militant
- pugnacious
- quarrelsome
- scrappy
- truculent
- warlike
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
In the perpetual skirmish between science and religion, biological evolution is a contentious battle ground. 
Barry A. Palevitz, Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 1999 Creator Jim Davis had spent two years fine-tuning the contentious relationship between the grouchy cat, his milquetoast owner, Jon (Davis' pen-and-ink alter ego), and befuddled dog Odie—in a strip he'd thought would be called Jon. Beth Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 1998 Historians, admittedly a contentious lot, have failed even to agree on what to call King Philip's War. Jill Lepore, The Name of War, 1998 My mental attitude when drinking is both contentious and malicious, and while in this mood and state I was the author of statements which I know to be wholly unfounded. Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914 After a contentious debate, members of the committee finally voted to approve the funding. The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders. See More
Barry A. Palevitz, Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 1999 Creator Jim Davis had spent two years fine-tuning the contentious relationship between the grouchy cat, his milquetoast owner, Jon (Davis' pen-and-ink alter ego), and befuddled dog Odie—in a strip he'd thought would be called Jon. Beth Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 1998 Historians, admittedly a contentious lot, have failed even to agree on what to call King Philip's War. Jill Lepore, The Name of War, 1998 My mental attitude when drinking is both contentious and malicious, and while in this mood and state I was the author of statements which I know to be wholly unfounded. Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914 After a contentious debate, members of the committee finally voted to approve the funding. The dispute involves one of the region's most contentious leaders. See More Recent Examples on the Web Martha’s Vineyard had not been expecting them but a small army of activists mobilized to help people who had become pawns in the contentious debate over America’s broken immigration system. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 17 Sep. 2022 Smith did in fact practice law, and, years before, his father, a doctor, had tipped him off to a contentious debate over the safety of talc—one that continues to this day. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 The growing backlash against her crystalizes an increasingly contentious debate in public health. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Center's test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. CBS News, 14 Aug. 2022 Center's test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. Terry Spencer, ajc, 14 Aug. 2022 The past year has been ferociously contentious in Morrow County politics, with residents and officials in the small community sparring with one another over the nitrates scandal, school funding, emergency services and county staffing. Mike Rogoway, oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2022 The fight for a formalized evacuation access program has been contentious. Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2022 The issue was contentious, with restive activists disrupting at least one meeting beforehand, leading Paduchik to impose stricter rules for public access to the meetings. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Ray Sanchez, CNN, 17 Sep. 2022 Smith did in fact practice law, and, years before, his father, a doctor, had tipped him off to a contentious debate over the safety of talc—one that continues to this day. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 The growing backlash against her crystalizes an increasingly contentious debate in public health. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2022 Center's test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. CBS News, 14 Aug. 2022 Center's test and its findings will be subject to contentious debate. Terry Spencer, ajc, 14 Aug. 2022 The past year has been ferociously contentious in Morrow County politics, with residents and officials in the small community sparring with one another over the nitrates scandal, school funding, emergency services and county staffing. Mike Rogoway, oregonlive, 2 Sep. 2022 The fight for a formalized evacuation access program has been contentious. Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2022 The issue was contentious, with restive activists disrupting at least one meeting beforehand, leading Paduchik to impose stricter rules for public access to the meetings. Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English contenciose "quarrelsome," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French contencieux "subject to disagreement," borrowed from Latin contentiōsus "persistent, obstinate, argumentative, quarrelsome," from contentiō "exertion, competition, contention" + -ōsus -ous
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
contentious
adjective
1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight the Tartars were a contentious people who terrorized much of Asia and eastern Europe during the Middle Ages Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- aggressive
- militant
- hostile
- confrontational
- combative
- irritable
- ugly
- pugnacious
- belligerent
- disputatious
- argumentative
- assaultive
- quarrelsome
- feisty
- bellicose
- acidic
- fierce
- warlike
- truculent
- agonistic
- gladiatorial
- vicious
- scrappy
- antagonistic
- discordant
- chippy
- savage
- rude
- brawly
- fractious
- fighting
- testy
- disagreeable
- touchy
- cross
- fretful
- warring
- irascible
- peevish
- querulous
- petulant
- ornery
- on the warpath
- snappish
- bilious
- surly
- grumpy
- grouchy
- hot-tempered
- waspish
- ill-tempered
- battling
- bristly
- dyspeptic
- huffy
- prickly
- pettish
- choleric
- crabby
- stroppy
- ill-humored
- cranky
- bearish
- ill-natured
- snappy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- peaceful
- peaceable
- nonaggressive
- uncontentious
- pacific
- pleasant
- nonbelligerent
- amiable
- conciliatory
- friendly
- amicable
- cordial
- unwarlike
- affable
- benevolent
- gracious
- easygoing
- uncombative
- quiet
- antimilitarist
- sociable
- complaisant
- genial
- calm
- unbelligerent
- ingratiating
- obliging
- serene
- tranquil
- kindhearted
- mild
- benign
- relaxed
- gentle
- good-natured
- anti-imperialist
- good-tempered
- kindly
2
as in controversial
given to arguing a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing Synonyms & Similar Words
- controversial
- aggressive
- polemic
- polemical
- disputatious
- argumentative
- stubborn
- quarrelsome
- militant
- irritable
- combative
- scrappy
- unreasonable
- fighting
- pugnacious
- fractious
- belligerent
- willful
- bellicose
- feisty
- warlike
- rude
- resistant
- truculent
- intractable
- disagreeable
- gladiatorial
- contrary
- testy
- ornery
- surly
- cantankerous
- uncooperative
- touchy
- restive
- obstinate
- cross
- acidic
- wayward
- warring
- fretful
- balky
- captious
- recalcitrant
- irascible
- peevish
- battling
- querulous
- splenetic
- disobedient
- petulant
- uncompromising
- obdurate
- insubordinate
- headstrong
- refractory
- snappish
- perverse
- bilious
- mulish
- pigheaded
- unbending
- grumpy
- waspish
- grouchy
- ill-tempered
- unyielding
- dyspeptic
- huffy
- hardheaded
- choleric
- froward
- crabby
- ill-humored
- cranky
- bearish
- wilful
- pettish
- self-willed
- ill-natured
- self-opinionated
- snappy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pleasant
- amiable
- amicable
- friendly
- cordial
- cooperative
- affable
- conciliatory
- easygoing
- agreeable
- benevolent
- gracious
- sociable
- amenable
- genial
- ingratiating
- good-natured
- compliant
- complaisant
- acquiescent
- tractable
- complying
- good-tempered
- docile
- peaceful
- peaceable
- submissive
- obedient
- obliging
- pacific
3
as in difficult
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions gun control is likely to be a contentious subject in any group discussion Synonyms & Similar Words
- controversial
- difficult
- tough
- problematic
- disputatious
- polemic
- argumentative
- polemical
- hot-button
- problematical
- thorny
- touchy
- knotty
- ticklish
- spiny
- delicate
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- safe
- indisputable
- uncontroversial
- noncontroversial
- undeniable
- unquestionable
- incontestable
- incontrovertible
- irrefutable
- indubitable
- uncontested
- undisputed
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of contentious are bellicose, belligerent, pugnacious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.
wearied by his contentious disposition
The meanings of bellicose and contentious largely overlap; however, bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.
a drunk in a bellicose mood
While the synonyms belligerent and contentious are close in meaning, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.
belligerent nations
In some situations, the words pugnacious and contentious are roughly equivalent. However, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.
a pugnacious gangster
The synonyms quarrelsome and contentious are sometimes interchangeable, but quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.
the heat made us all quarrelsome
- deforesters
- deforesting
- deforests
- deform
- deformabilities
- deformable
- deformalise
- deformalizations
- deformalize
- deformalized
- deformalizes
- deformalizing
- deformation
- deformation band
- deformational
- deformations
- deformative
- deformed
- deformed bar
- deformednesses
- deformers
- deformeter
- deforming
- deformities
- deformity