quarrelsome

[ kwawr-uhl-suhm, kwor- ]

adjective

1. inclined to quarrel; argumentative; contentious.

quarrelsome

/ ˈkwɒrəlsəm /

adjective

1. inclined to quarrel or disagree; belligerent

Derived Forms

• ˈquarrelsomeness, noun
• ˈquarrelsomely, adverb

Other Words From

• quarrel·some·ly adverb
• quarrel·some·ness noun
• un·quarrel·some adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quarrelsome¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; quarrel ¹ + -some ¹

Example Sentences

But in grieving his lost youth, he became quarrelsome and sometimes belligerent.

From Los Angeles Times

Paranoid, controlling, quarrelsome and rigid, LadyBird turns out to have a traumatic secret of her own.

From Los Angeles Times

Chancellor Olaf Scholz plans to lay out how he and his quarrelsome governing coalition aim to fix things in a speech to parliament Tuesday.

From Seattle Times

The ruling has tied Scholz’s quarrelsome, three-party coalition in knots as the cabinet tries to comply with the decision, raising uncertainty about which government programs will be cut.

From Seattle Times

So the movie stays behind, too, and I knew I was in very good hands because, even though that meant almost two more hours with this moody, quarrelsome duo, I didn’t mind.

From New York Times

Related Words

• belligerent
• cantankerous
• combative
• contentious
• fractious
• litigious
• petulant
• tempestuous
• turbulent
• unruly