LESSON 7 THE CANTANKEROUS CLUSTER Words Relating to

LESSON 7: THE CANTANKEROUS CLUSTER Words Relating to Quarreling, Fighting, and Bitter Feelings

Animosity Noun Hatred; ill will • Vince no longer felt any animosity toward his sister after she apologized to him. • The animosity between the North and the South led to the American Civil War. • The teammates put aside their animosities at practice to focus on the game.

Antagonism Noun Hatred or hostility • Alice expressed his antagonism toward Tom by glaring whenever he walked past. • Kyle was able to defeat his antagonist by preparing twice as hard for their next match. • During the Cold War, there was a strong antagonism between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Bellicose Adjective • After Parliament passed the Tea Act, a group of bellicose patriots tossed chests of tea into Boston Harbor. Of a quarrelsome nature • The bellicose children in Lord of the Flies frequently fought amongst themselves. • Genghis Khan’s bellicose army conquered most of Asia.

Belligerent Adjective, Noun Taking part in war or fighting • The belligerent nation sent its soldiers to the border to prepare for war. • Jared expressed his belligerence toward his friends by shouting angrily. • North Korea’s belligerent actions led the United Nations to impose sanctions.

Cantankerous • The cantankerous old man wouldn’t stop arguing. Adjective Bad-tempered; quarrelsome • My uncle complained cantankerously about the food. • Many people become increasingly cantankerous as they get older.

Captious • It was almost impossible for the hospital staff to please the captious patient. Adjective Tending to find fault or raise petty objections; made for the sake of quarreling • Becky’s captious comments were meant to point out every little mistake her classmates made. • It can be frustrating to have a conversation with a captious person.

Contentious • Economic policy has long been a contentious issue between Democrats and Republicans. Adjective Causing or likely to cause an argument; quarrelsome • The contentious siblings frequently argued with one another. • Many people become distressed by the contentious tone of modern politics.

Disputatious • The disputatious friends enjoyed engaging in debates. Adjective Likely to argue; motivated by or causing strong opinions • There was a lot of shouting at the disputatious city council meeting. • I disagreed with my professor and responded to his assertion disputatiously.

Polemical • The writer wrote a polemical essay responding to the government’s actions. Adjective Inclined to argue; controversial • The polemical students disagreed with one another on almost every issue. • The polemical play was greeted with harsh reviews upon its premiere.

Predator • The predatory lending schemes of many loan companies contributed to the economic recession. Noun One who takes advantage of another; a strong adversary or rival • Her great wealth made her vulnerable to predators. • Wolves are major predators of smaller animals.

Pugnacious • The pugnacious boxers were ready to enter the ring. Adjective Eager to fight • Rob’s pugnacious nature got him into serious trouble a number of times. • Politicians today seem to have an increasingly pugancious demeanor.