Synonyms and Antonyms of controversial

  1. 1 relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions racial segregation was a controversial topic in the 1960s Synonyms argumentative, contentious, disputatious, hot-button, polemical (also polemic) Related Words delicate, difficult, knotty, problematic (also problematical), spiny, thorny, ticklish, touchy, tough Near Antonyms incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, undeniable, unquestionable; irrefutable; uncontested, undisputed Antonyms noncontroversial, safe, uncontroversial

  2. 2 given to arguing controversial by temperament, she's the sort of political attack dog who kills all hope of bipartisanship Synonyms contentious, argumentative, disputatious, polemical (also polemic), quarrelsome, scrappyRelated Words aggressive, bellicose, belligerent, combative, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, truculent, warlike; feisty, fractious, surly; balky, contrary, ornery, perverse, restive, wayward; disobedient, froward, insubordinate, intractable, recalcitrant, refractory; hardheaded, headstrong, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, pigheaded, resistant, self-opinionated, self-willed, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, uncooperative, unreasonable, unyielding, willful (or wilful); acidic, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, captious, choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, disagreeable, dyspeptic, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, huffy, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, peevish, pettish, petulant, querulous, rude, snappish, snappy, splenetic, testy, touchy, waspish; battling, fighting, warringNear Antonyms affable, amiable, amicable, benevolent, cordial, easygoing, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, ingratiating, pleasant, sociable; acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, compliant, complying, conciliatory, cooperative, obliging; docile, obedient, submissive, tractable; pacific, peaceable, peaceful

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