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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contentious
One possible explanation is the end of No Child Left Behind, the contentious school accountability law President George W. Bush signed in 2002.
—
Sarah Mervosh, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Since her freshman season, Kenya changed the trajectory of RHOA with her over-the-top antics and affinity for pushing the boundaries of her castmates through verbal sparring, invading personal space, and being an overall contentious human being.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
But the project was again at the center of last week’s nearly five-hour contentious meeting and a lawsuit filed in January.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
These comments seemed to further his feud with the agency following a contentious 2018 Tesla settlement over Musk's tweets that resulted in the Supreme Court declining to hear Musk's arguments against his tweets being monitored by the SEC.
—ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Sarah Mervosh, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Since her freshman season, Kenya changed the trajectory of RHOA with her over-the-top antics and affinity for pushing the boundaries of her castmates through verbal sparring, invading personal space, and being an overall contentious human being.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
But the project was again at the center of last week’s nearly five-hour contentious meeting and a lawsuit filed in January.
—Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
These comments seemed to further his feud with the agency following a contentious 2018 Tesla settlement over Musk's tweets that resulted in the Supreme Court declining to hear Musk's arguments against his tweets being monitored by the SEC.
—ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentious
Adjective
-
There are also more aggressive interventions for people with severe allergies who don’t respond to other medicines like desensitization therapy, also known as allergy shots.—
Umair Irfan,
Wired News,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The two were very aggressive from the start of the fight, with a lot of output.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cholesterol and Heart Health The keto diet's effects on cholesterol levels and heart health remain controversial.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
9 Apr. 2025
-
But Sound of Freedom, while popular with conservative audiences, was also controversial.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.—
Lauren Irwin,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
-
And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While slightly less combative than Kayhan, Javan still conveyed conditional skepticism, framing Washington's intentions as unclear and demanding visible signs of commitment before endorsing the process.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Peterson did not mention President Trump or his administration's combative stance against federal judges and the courts.—
Thomas Wheatley,
Axios,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Strong winds also may have North Texans feeling more irritable, which scientists blame on there being too many positive ions in the air.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Signs of overextension burnout include feeling emotionally drained, becoming irritable and struggling to focus—all of which can affect both your work and personal life.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share