The meaning of Contentious

adjective

Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Usage examples:

Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her

adjective

Having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel

Usage examples:

My wife loves the opera, but i have ambivalent feelings about it.

noun

A boundary separating two countries or areas.

Usage examples:

By drawing borderlines separating the yellow/red areas and surrounding blue areas, we obtained thre…

adjective

Only just acceptable in quality or as belonging to a category.

Usage examples:

References may be requested in borderline cases

adjective

Between two very different conditions, with the possibility of being unacceptable

Usage examples:

My blood pressure was borderline, and the doctor said i should lose weight.

verb

Struggle to surmount (a difficulty).

Usage examples:

She had to contend with his uncertain temper

verb

Past simple and past participle of contend

Usage examples:

There are three world-class tennis players contending for this title., he's contending against some…

adjective

Giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement.

Usage examples:

Years of wrangling over a controversial bypass

adjective

Causing or likely to cause disagreement

Usage examples:

A controversial theory/movie, they are also very controversially talking about taxing social securi…

adjective

Open to discussion or argument.

Usage examples:

It is debatable whether the country is coming out of recession

adjective

Not clear, not certain, or not fixed; possibly not true

Usage examples:

It’s debatable whether he could get a fair trial here.

adjective

Not established as a fact, and so open to question or debate.

Usage examples:

Whether it can be described as art criticism may be disputable

adjective

Not certain

Usage examples:

People say that they produce the best athletes in the world, but i think that's disputable.

verb

Argue about (something).

Usage examples:

The point has been much disputed

noun

A disagreement or argument.

Usage examples:

A territorial dispute between the two countries

noun

A disagreement or argument.

Usage examples:

A territorial dispute between the two countries

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.

Usage examples:

The equivocal nature of her remarks

adjective

(of statements) unclear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or (of actions or ways of behaving) confusing and able to be understood in two different ways

Usage examples:

She gave an equivocal response.

adjective

Subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty.

Usage examples:

Whether they had been successful or not was a moot point

verb

Raise (a question or topic) for discussion; suggest (an idea or possibility).

Usage examples:

The scheme was first mooted last october

noun

An assembly held for debate, especially in anglo-saxon and medieval times.

Usage examples:

Even if, as some have supposed, the manor court, or hall moot, had anglo-saxon forebears, it was an…

adjective

Not able to be relied on; not known or definite.

Usage examples:

An uncertain future

adjective

Unclear, or not sure

Usage examples:

She faces an uncertain future., we’re uncertain of the cause of death., [ u ] they live in uncertai…

adjective

(of a person) not having made a decision.

Usage examples:

The jury remained undecided

noun

A person who has not decided how they are going to vote in an election.

Usage examples:

20 per cent of the population describe themselves as undecideds

adjective

Not having made a decision or judgment about something

Usage examples:

Are you still undecided about that job in san francisco?

adjective

(of a problem, question, or dispute) not resolved.

Usage examples:

A number of issues remain unresolved

adjective

(esp. of a problem or difficulty) not solved or ended

Usage examples:

The mayor’s race remains unresolved.

adjective

Lacking order or stability.

Usage examples:

An unsettled childhood

verb

Cause to feel anxious or uneasy; disturb.

Usage examples:

The crisis has unsettled financial markets

adjective

Tending to change suddenly; not having a regular pattern

Usage examples:

Things are unsettled in the state’s political arena., the forecast is for unsettled weather, with m…

adjective

Not feeling, showing, or done with confidence and certainty.

Usage examples:

I stand quietly under that glare, unsure of how to reply to such a statement

adjective

In doubt, or not certain

Usage examples:

[ + question word ] officials were unsure who was in control of the city., he has been unsure of hi…

adjective

(of a problem or issue) difficult and much debated; problematic.

Usage examples:

The vexed question of how much money the government is going to spend

verb

Make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters.

Usage examples:

The memory of the conversation still vexed him

adjective

Troubling and difficult

Usage examples:

A vexed question