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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in controversial
given to arguing
a tiresomely contentious person who likes to argue for the sake of arguing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contentious
Gillett has been at the center of a firestorm as the utilities have filed lawsuits in a contentious atmosphere for an agency that in the past was known for being low key and not making headlines.
—
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's lawyer during the president’s first administration and in the contentious aftermath of the November 2020 election, also owns a condominium in Palm Beach.
—Darrell Hofheinz, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
The placement of the billboard, taking up real estate in Reese's city, sparked reaction from fans on social media due to the contentious history between the players.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2025
There was never anything contentious about it — everything sort of flowed into place.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's lawyer during the president’s first administration and in the contentious aftermath of the November 2020 election, also owns a condominium in Palm Beach.
—Darrell Hofheinz, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
The placement of the billboard, taking up real estate in Reese's city, sparked reaction from fans on social media due to the contentious history between the players.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2025
There was never anything contentious about it — everything sort of flowed into place.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentious
Adjective
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With Oklahoma City, currently the best and most aggressive defense in the league by a wide margin, there isn’t just one candidate.—
Shane Young,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Read more: Rams and Matthew Stafford Agree on Restructured Deal to Keep Him in LA The Raiders were reportedly the most aggressive team and had a lucrative offer on the table to land Stafford.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Offensive posts by Gascón from 2020 and 2021 surfaced online last month, many of which included controversial comments about the killing of George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2025
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Germany's conservatives are projected to win the national election on Sunday while the controversial far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party records its best-ever results in an election, exit polls showed.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hamas, which has fought Israeli troops for more than a year in its Gaza stronghold since attacking communities in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, said sending tanks showed the threats faced by Israeli troops from militant fighters in the camps.—
Raneen Sawafta and James Mackenzie,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
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The militant group hoped the event would revive its battered image.—
Emmett Lindner,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In a notable thawing of tensions between Russia and the U.S., Trump even promised to visit Moscow, and said Putin would be welcome in Washington, D.C. The president has also become increasingly hostile toward Ukraine.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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China’s relentless nuclear buildup, its hostile espionage operations, its militant rhetoric, and, above all, its support for Russia suggest that Xi has already made his call and that a confrontation with the United States is inevitable.—
Sergey Radchenko,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Writing used to be a pretty combative process for us.—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
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The relationship between the two men naturally proves combative, with Danny unwilling to relinquish his status and Wihlborg impatient with his trainer’s refusal to acknowledge his limitations.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Cold exposure is particularly helpful for those who have irritable skin through the constriction of blood vessels, alleviating swelling and flushes.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
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The elderly single mom, played with an irritable, bone-deep bitterness by Irish actor Fiona Shaw, has spent the past few years paralyzed by an illness no one can diagnose.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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