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Synonyms and antonyms of contentious in English

contentious

adjective
These are words and phrases related to contentious. Click on any word or phrase to go to its thesaurus page. Or, go to the definition of contentious.

HOSTILE

Synonyms

hostile
belligerent
angry
antagonistic
contrary
quarrelsome
bristling
disputatious
argumentative
disagreeing
malicious
vicious
malevolent
venomous
spiteful
bitter
malignant
malign
mean
ugly
unfriendly
unkind
unsympathetic
ill-disposed
ill-natured
disagreeable
incompatible
cranky
cantankerous
snappish
truculent
testy
touchy
cold
chilly
icy

Antonyms

friendly
approving
agreeable
amiable
amicable
cordial
congenial
sweet
kind
kindly
warm
sympathetic

TESTY

Synonyms

testy
irritable
ill-humored
quick-tempered
irascible
cross
cranky
grumpy
crabby
snappish
snappy
fretful
peevish
petulant
sullen
waspish
churlish
splenetic
choleric
snarling
cantankerous
touchy
temperamental
impatient
crusty
fractious
captious
caviling
faultfinding
sharp-tongued
perverse
acrimonious
moody
filthy
Informal

Antonyms

good-natured
good-humored
even-tempered
sweet
pleasant
amiable
genial
friendly
agreeable
kind
generous
patient
smiling
sunny
smiley
Informal

PETULANT

Synonyms

faultfinding
complaining
quarrelsome
petulant
peevish
fretful
irritable
cross
snappish
sullen
sulky
surly
grumpy
grouchy
testy
huffy
pettish
irascible
fractious
gruff
cantankerous
sour
crotchety
crabbed
bearish
ungracious
ill-natured
ill-tempered
out of sorts
thin-skinned
touchy
tetchy
uncivil

Antonyms

agreeable
pleasant
good-natured
cheerful
happy
smiling
complaisant
cooperative
content
gracious
amenable

FACTIOUS

Synonyms

factious
divisive
quarrelsome
bickering
disputatious
disagreeing
dissentious
insubordinate
rebellious
mutinous
combative
belligerent
insurrectionary
contending
warring
fighting
at sixes and sevens
at loggerheads
alienated
estranged
disaffected

Antonyms

consenting
agreeing
harmonious
assenting
acquiescing

DYSPEPTIC

Synonyms

shirty
British
cantankerous
British
grouchy
British
crabby
British
grumpy
British
ornery
British
fractious
British
dyspeptic
bad-tempered
ill-natured
ill-humored
crotchety
hot- tempered
irritable
irascible
short-tempered
mean
choleric
touchy
sour-tempered
waspish

Antonyms

good-natured
agreeable
imperturbable
even-tempered
calm
serene

MILITANT

Synonyms

militant
combative
combatant
aggressive
belligerent
uncompromising
assertive
extreme
defiant
pugnacious
disputatious
engaged in or favoring warfare
warlike
warring
military
paramilitary
fighting
warmongering
bellicose
martial

Antonyms

moderate
concessive
peaceable
pacific
pacifist
noncombative
nonmilitant

QUARRELSOME

Synonyms

quarrelsome
belligerent
truculent
pugnacious
combative
militant
bellicose
disputatious
argumentative
antagonistic
fractious
captious
churlish
disagreeable
contrary
cantankerous
irascible
petulant
peevish
querulous

Antonyms

friendly
easygoing
amiable
agreeable

PUGNACIOUS

Synonyms

belligerent
bellicose
fractious
disputatious
argumentative
pugnacious
quarrelsome
given to fighting
antagonistic
unfriendly
aggressive
combative
defiant
warlike
hostile
menacing
militant
threatening
with teeth bared
with a chip on one's shoulder

Antonyms

peaceful
calm
friendly
conciliatory
accommodating

BELLIGERENT

Synonyms

belligerent
unfriendly
hostile
antagonistic
bellicose
pugnacious
quarrelsome
irritable
bad-tempered
cantankerous
irascible
inimical
truculent

Antonyms

friendly
amicable
neighborly
 Synonyms for contentious from Random House Roget's College Thesaurus, Revised and Updated Edition © 2000 Random House, Inc.

Browse

contentedly
contentedness
contention
contention against
contentious
contentment
contents
conterminous
contest

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a walking encyclopedia

someone who seems to be a human form of disaster, encyclopedia, etc.

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