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Synonym Chooser

How is the word quarrelsome distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of quarrelsome are bellicose, belligerent, contentious, and pugnacious. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

When might bellicose be a better fit than quarrelsome?

The words bellicose and quarrelsome can be used in similar contexts, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

In what contexts can belligerent take the place of quarrelsome?

Although the words belligerent and quarrelsome have much in common, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

When is it sensible to use contentious instead of quarrelsome?

While the synonyms contentious and quarrelsome are close in meaning, contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When can pugnacious be used instead of quarrelsome?

In some situations, the words pugnacious and quarrelsome are roughly equivalent. However, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

Examples 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 quarrelsome The almost too-perfect sibling rivalry storyline marched on following the release of 2001’s Lions and a joint tour with fellow famously quarrelsome brother duo Oasis — winkingly called the Tour of Brotherly Love — after which the Crowes went on hiatus in 2002. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019 Paranoid, controlling, quarrelsome and rigid, LadyBird turns out to have a traumatic secret of her own. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 The art was also a way of transmuting the intense emotions of South Korea’s civil war, postwar poverty and military dictatorship, as well as what was widely remembered as his own difficult, sometimes quarrelsome personality, into a kind of everyday serenity. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2023 Park’s sense was that it had been historically applied to unusually quarrelsome women. Robert Samuels, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for quarrelsome 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quarrelsome
Adjective
  • Related Articles Once privatized, Nordstrom isn’t expected to diverge much from its current priorities involving aggressive expansion of the Rack off-price chain, digital growth and comp gains at the Nordstrom upscale department store business.
    David Moin, WWD, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Bobby is, of course, Bob Dylan, played here by Timothée Chalamet in a near-magical performance that throws off all the right kind of sparks: newness, genius, a touch of aloofness that was probably easier for Dylan to fake than modesty and, under it all, a kind of aggressive, combative hunger.
    Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Growing up, millennials experienced contentious 2000 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections, the events of September 11, 2001, a war on terror that cost trillions and lasted two decades, and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
    Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
  • What’s more, the dynamics for Big Media and Big Tech are complicated by the fact that Trump has had a contentious relationship with major players in both sectors.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • However, the militant group cautioned that hurdles remain.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Iran continues to play a key role in regional conflicts, supporting militant groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, further complicating its diplomatic relations.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The live conversation centered on Osbourne's friendship with controversial TV host Piers Morgan, who was making headlines at the time for his controversial comments about Duchess Meghan.
    Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
  • The beloved actor's career was marked by her collaborations with some of the most innovative directors of her time, including Robert Altman and the controversial Stanley Kubrick.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In story mode, there are a few other people to find on the island, some of whom will be helpful and others hostile.
    Jason Bennett, arkansasonline.com, 15 Dec. 2024
  • For example – in the run-up to this year’s U.S. presidential election, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor observed that hostile states intending to spread disruption no longer need to influence the vote itself.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The Fed’s preferred inflation measure — the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — is due Friday and could similarly show stubborn price pressures.
    Bryan Mena, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
  • While the overall economic picture is starting to look better, stubborn inflation and the prospect of new tariffs when President-elect Donald Trump takes office seem to give mid-market leaders pause.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Even if a more irritable side of her personality has emerged, there’s no excuse for cruelty.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
  • In worst-case scenarios, pain can cause a dog to be more irritable and aggressive, like if a human had a severe headache and couldn't tolerate social interaction, Enomoto said.
    Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Pollard allegedly refused to identify himself to police and acted belligerent and uncooperative, the affidavit stated.
    Andrea Klick, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2024
  • That will be especially important because China in recent years has strengthened ties with a belligerent Algiers.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near quarrelsome

Cite this Entry

“Quarrelsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quarrelsome. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on quarrelsome

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