| Main Entry: | bone of contention |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | difference of opinion |
Synonyms: |
altercation, apple of discord, argument, beef, conflict, controversy, debate, disagreement, dispute, grounds for war, issue, matter at hand, point in question, problem, sore point, tender spot |
| Main Entry: | altercation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | fight, often verbal |
Synonyms: |
argument, beef, bickering, blowup, bone of contention, brawl*, brush*, combat, contest, controversy, dispute, embroilment, flap, fracas*, fuss, go*, hassle, quarrel, row, rumble*, run-in, set-to, squabbling, tiff, words, wrangle |
Antonyms: |
agreement, concord, harmony, peace, union, unity |
| Main Entry: | argument |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal fight |
Synonyms: |
altercation, beef, bickering, blowup, bone, bone of contention, bone to pick, brannigan, brawl, brush, clash, controversy, crusher, debate, difference of opinion, disagreement, dispute, donnybrook, dustup, exchange, face-off, falling, feud, finisher, flap, fuss, gin, go*, hassle, knock down and drag out, knockdown, out, quarrel, rhubarb, romp, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, run-in, scene, scrap, set-to, shindy, spat, squabble, static*, stew, talking heads, tiff, words, wrangle |
| Main Entry: | cause célèbre |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | controversial issue |
Synonyms: |
bone of contention, celebrated case, controversy, debate, grist for the gossip mill, hot potato, moot point, political football, scandal, war of words |
| Main Entry: | contention |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | competition |
Synonyms: |
altercation, argument, battle, beef, belligerency, bone of contention, bone to pick, combat, conflict, contest, controversy, difference, disaccord, discord, dispute, dissension, dissent, dissidence, disunity, enmity, feuding, fight, flak, hassle, hostility, quarrel, rivalry, run-in, scene, scrap, set-to, squabble, static, strife, struggle, variance, war, wrangle, wrangling |
Antonyms: |
affection, consideration, friendliness, friendship, good will, kindness, sympathy |
| Main Entry: | debatable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | controversial |
Synonyms: |
arguable, between rock and hard place, between sixes and sevens, betwixt and between, bone of contention, borderline, chancy, contestable, disputable, doubtful, dubious, iffy, in dispute, moot, mootable, open to question, problematic, problematical, questionable, the jury's out, touch and go, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, up for discussion |
Antonyms: |
certain, inarguable, incontrovertible, indubious, questionable, sure, uncontestable, undoubted |
| Main Entry: | dispute |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | argument |
Synonyms: |
altercation, beef, bickering, bone of contention, brawl, broil, brouhaha, commotion, conflict, contention, controversy, debate, difference of opinion, disagreement, discord, discussion, dissension, disturbance, embroilment, falling-out, feud, fireworks*, flare-up, fracas, friction, fuss, hubbub, miff, misunderstanding, polemic, quarrel, row, rumpus, squabble, squall, strife, tiff, uproar, variance, words, wrangle |
Antonyms: |
agreement |
| Main Entry: | dissent |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | disagreement, disapproval |
Synonyms: |
bone of contention, bone to pick, bone, clinker, conflict, contention, denial, difference, disaccord, discord, dissension, dissidence, disunity, far cry, flak, hassle, heresy, heterodoxy, misbelief, nonagreement, nonconcurrence, nonconformism, nonconformity, nope, objection, opposition, poles apart, protest, refusal, resistance, schism, sour note, spat, split, strife, unorthodoxy, variance |
| Notes: | dissent is, literally, 'feel or think differently' and dissident means 'sit apart, disagree' |
Antonyms: |
agreement, approval, authorization, concurrence, endorsement, ratification, sanction |
| Main Entry: | difference of opinion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | conflict over something important |
Synonyms: |
altercation, argument, bone of contention, conflict, debate, disagreement, dispute, dissension, dissent, friction, irreconcilable difference, run-in, strife |
| Main Entry: | mootable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | debatable |
Synonyms: |
arguable, between rock and hard place, between sixes and sevens, betwixt and between, bone of contention, borderline, chancy, contestable, contested, disputable, doubtful, dubious, exceptionable, iffy, in dispute, moot, open to question, problematic, problematical, questionable, the jury's out, touch and go, uncertain, undecided, unsettled, up for discussion |