as in acrimonious
having or showing deep-seated resentment
a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him
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Recent Examples of rancorous
The recent months of campaigning have been volatile and rancorous, underscoring a changing American narrative in which a white, mostly Christian majority is shrinking in the face of a growing multiracial population.
—
Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
The conditions were ripe for a takeover, and Richard J. Daley — who had taken control of the Cook County Democratic Party — defeated Kennelly in a rancorous three-way primary in 1955.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
These disputes became more rancorous after Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia and its 2014 annexation of Crimea, with liberal internationalists arguing that these wars revealed Putin to be an imperialist, revisionist leader seeking to reconquer the Soviet empire.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The near-assassination of a former U.S. president one week ago briefly halted the rancorous rhetoric gripping the nation.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
The conditions were ripe for a takeover, and Richard J. Daley — who had taken control of the Cook County Democratic Party — defeated Kennelly in a rancorous three-way primary in 1955.
—Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024
These disputes became more rancorous after Russia’s 2008 war in Georgia and its 2014 annexation of Crimea, with liberal internationalists arguing that these wars revealed Putin to be an imperialist, revisionist leader seeking to reconquer the Soviet empire.
—Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
The near-assassination of a former U.S. president one week ago briefly halted the rancorous rhetoric gripping the nation.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 21 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous
Adjective
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The duo’s popularity peaked in 2014, not long before the acrimonious split of the creative collaborators and romantic partners.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Feb. 2025
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As long as the war in Ukraine grinds on and Iran’s acrimonious relations with the West persist, driving a wedge between Russia and Iran will be a lofty challenge.—
Nicole Grajewski,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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One of her twisted arms is lopped off by an angry audience member and turns into a firehose of blood.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN,
27 Feb. 2025
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Trashing a guy’s car is nothing new among angry exes, but one Florida woman took it to an absurd level after having a little too much to drink, according to Florida investigators.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Clevinger was eventually sidelined with a sore elbow and then needed disk replacement surgery on his neck on August 1, an operation that ended his season.—
Jared Wyllys,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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The 200-person pool is large enough for swimming, but most guests just soak sore muscles in the mineral-rich water (between 98 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit) while gazing at Mount Rundle and other snowy peaks.—
Cindy Hirschfeld,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The bitter exchange was unlike any other in the Oval Office in modern times. 13:43 With Ukraine's future in the balance, a high-stakes meeting on Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a shouting match.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2025
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But there are some whiskey fans who crave high-proof spirits the way others will seek out intensely hoppy beer or extremely bitter amaro: the more extreme, the better, full stop.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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It’s packed with tough love, cathartic activities, and positive affirmations that won’t leave cynical folks rolling their eyes.—
Kristin Canning,
SELF,
25 Feb. 2025
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It’s been cool and cynical, surreal and silly, bold enough to make adolescents of all ages feel daring for staying up past 11:30 (or catching up on YouTube the next morning) and safe enough to keep advertisers and network executives happy.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But much of the film is centered on her domestic life, cooking fish for a date who never shows up, entertaining friends and colleagues, melting down in the bathroom and receiving a rare visit from a resentful daughter.—
Julie Lasky,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Stateless, unemployed, resentful, which other nation would risk its own stability to absorb 1.5 million hungry, frustrated, angry, heavily armed refugees?—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And even those Angelenos whose homes are still standing are feeling a newfound sense of fragility, realizing with every step into the acrid air how little about their lives is assured.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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Oxidation is one of the main things that makes old coffee taste stale and acrid.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
6 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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