quarrelsome
gb/kwˈɔɹəlsəm/ us/kwˈɔɹəlsəm/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
often starting arguments or fights
Someone who is quarrelsome often argues or fights with others.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is quarrelsome; a quarrelsome [person/child/neighbor]
Common mistake:
Often confused with the noun/verb forms (quarrel/quarrels); also commonly misspelled as *quarrelsom*.
Synonyms
argumentative (Focuses on liking to argue, not necessarily to fight.)
|
combative (Stronger; suggests a readiness to fight or confront.)
|
belligerent (More hostile and aggressive than quarrelsome.)
Antonyms
peaceable (Preferring calm and avoiding conflict.)
|
agreeable (Easy to get along with and not likely to argue.)
Collocations
a quarrelsome person
|a quarrelsome child
|a quarrelsome neighbor
|a quarrelsome customer
|a quarrelsome temperament
|a quarrelsome nature
|quarrelsome behavior
|become quarrelsome
|in a quarrelsome mood
|increasingly quarrelsome
Themes
relationships
|communication
|emotions
Examples
- He gets quarrelsome after a couple of drinks and starts picking fights over nothing.
- As a teenager, she was quarrelsome and constantly arguing with her parents.
- The new roommate seemed friendly at first, but he turned out to be quarrelsome and hard to live with.
Learner examples
- My brother is quarrelsome and argues a lot.
- Try not to be quarrelsome at work.
adjective
formal
C1
property
2
causing or marked by conflict
Something quarrelsome often leads to arguments.
Usage pattern:
a quarrelsome [relationship/meeting/debate/issue]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this for any 'problematic' situation; it specifically refers to arguing/conflict.
Synonyms
contentious (Often used for issues or debates that people strongly disagree about.)
|
fractious (Suggests irritability and frequent conflict within a group.)
Antonyms
harmonious (Marked by agreement and a lack of conflict.)
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calm (Free from agitation and arguing in the situation.)
Collocations
a quarrelsome relationship
|a quarrelsome marriage
|a quarrelsome meeting
|a quarrelsome debate
|a quarrelsome discussion
|a quarrelsome atmosphere
|a quarrelsome crowd
|a quarrelsome exchange
Themes
relationships
|society
|communication
Examples
- The meeting became quarrelsome as soon as the budget cuts were mentioned.
- Their quarrelsome relationship made it hard for the team to work together.
- The debate turned quarrelsome and the chair had to restore order.
Learner examples
- The discussion got quarrelsome very quickly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
quarrelsome
IPA
GB/kwˈɔɹəlsəm/
US/kwˈɔɹəlsəm/
Syllables & stress
quar - rel - some (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (quar)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: quarrelsome
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.