| Main Entry: | controversy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | debate, dispute |
Synonyms: |
altercation, argument, beef, bickering, brush, contention, difference, discussion, disputation, dissention, embroilment, falling-out, flak, fuss, hurrah, miff, polemic, quarrel, row, rumpus, scene, scrap, squabble, strife, tiff, words, wrangle, wrangling |
Antonyms: |
accord, agreement, forbearance, harmony, peace, quiet |
| 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: | battle |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | struggle |
Synonyms: |
agitation, campaign, clash, conflict, contest, controversy, crusade, debate, disagreement, dispute, strife |
| 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: | competition |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | contest |
Synonyms: |
antagonism, athletic event, bout, candidacy, championship, clash, concours, contention, controversy, counteraction, do or die, dog eat dog, emulation, encounter, engagement, event, fight, game, go for it, go for the gold, horse race, jungle*, match, matchup, meeting, one on one, one-upping, opposition, pairing off, puzzle, quiz, race, racing, rat race, rivalry, run, sport, strife, striving, struggle, tilt, tournament, trial, tug-of-war, warfare |
| Notes: | competition refers to an abstract quality, whereas competitiveness implies a practical activity whose manifestation can be observed |
| 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: | contest |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | fight, struggle |
Synonyms: |
action, affray, altercation, battle, battle royal, beef, brawl, brush, combat, conflict, controversy, debate, discord, dispute, emulation, encounter, engagement, fray, go*, hassle, rivalry, row, rumble*, run-in, scrap, set-to, shock, skirmish, static, strife, striving, tug-of-war, warfare, wrangle |
Antonyms: |
agreement, calm, peace, quiet, stillness, tranquility |
| Main Entry: | debate |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | discussion of issues; consideration |
Synonyms: |
agitation, altercation, argument, argumentation, blah-blah, cogitation, contention, contest, controversy, controverting, deliberation, dialectic, disputation, dispute, forensic, hassle, match, meditation, mooting, polemic, rebutting, reflection, refuting, tiff, words, wrangle |
Antonyms: |
agreement |
| Main Entry: | difference |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | opposing views |
Synonyms: |
argument, beef, blowup, bone to pick, brannigan, brawl, brush*, brush-off, catamaran, clash, conflict, contention, contrariety, contretemps, controversy, debate, disaccord, disagreement, discord, discordance, dispute, dissension, dissent, dissidence, disunity, dustup, estrangement, hassle, quarrel, row*, run-in, scrap*, set-to, spat, strife, tiff, variance, words, wrangle |
Antonyms: |
agreement, assent, concurrence, consent |