pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.
a pugnacious gangster
quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.
the heat made us all quarrelsome
contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.
wearied by his contentious disposition
Example Sentences
a quarrelsome student who was always being sent to the principal's office for starting fights in the halls you're so quarrelsome: you can never do anything without a fuss
Recent Examples on the WebThis poses a real challenge for both employees and employers who might see productivity and morale tank if the negotiating process stretches on too long or becomes quarrelsome. Amber Burton, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2022 Chosen as heir by nobles over his elder female cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best), Viserys presides over a quarrelsome court. Sean T. Collins, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2022 So, there was no number 6 on the reasons gold hasn’t rallied hard with inflation, but gold is a classic haven and the world is very quarrelsome at present, with the usual suspects stirring away. Clem Chambers, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022 Even Jefferson soon had enough of the quarrelsome envoy. Shaun Assael, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2021 How to mold a lasting and resilient nation out of this quarrelsome collection of commonwealths? Kevin Duchschere, Star Tribune, 14 May 2021 The group’s board included Morton Irvine Smith, scion of a quarrelsome California family that once owned much of the land on which Orange County was built.New York Times, 10 Apr. 2021 If people become quarrelsome or negative, don’t take it personally. Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2021 There are so many things going on that someone could become quarrelsome. Magi Helena, oregonlive, 7 Dec. 2019 See More