as in acrimonious
having or showing deep-seated resentment
a rancorous autobiography in which the author heaps blame on just about everyone who had the misfortune of knowing him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rancorous
Kennedy’s retirement from active service on the court was followed by a rancorous and highly political process of confirmation for Kavanaugh, who was successfully nominated by Trump in 2018.
—
Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025
The timing of the announcement appeared not to be coincidental, coming as Disney reached a rancorous carriage impasse with YouTube TV.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
The conversations were spirited and robust but hardly rancorous.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
But the film could have used more of the rancorous triangle formed by Enrichetta, her mother and Duse’s monastically devoted and territorial Austrian assistant, Desiree (Fanni Wrochna).
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025
The timing of the announcement appeared not to be coincidental, coming as Disney reached a rancorous carriage impasse with YouTube TV.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
The conversations were spirited and robust but hardly rancorous.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
But the film could have used more of the rancorous triangle formed by Enrichetta, her mother and Duse’s monastically devoted and territorial Austrian assistant, Desiree (Fanni Wrochna).
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rancorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous
Adjective
-
Miron Muslic was appointed in the summer following his acrimonious departure from Plymouth Argyle, and the Bosnian has built an incredibly consistent, tough team that, unlike its predecessors, responds well to adversity.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Christina Haack's divorce from her husband of two years, Josh Hall, was acrimonious from the get-go.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bill, who was a Vietnam War veteran, tended to be angry and demanding at home.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
-
An angry crowd rioted outside an Australian Outback hospital where a man accused of killing a 5-year-old girl was treated for a vigilante beating.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Bregman, originally not in the Chicago Cubs lineup because of a sore toe from a hit by pitch Sunday, was called on to pinch hit in the seventh inning Tuesday night at Petco Park.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the Tigers’ bullpen has still been a sore point so far this season.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Down 3-1 after dropping the first three games, little has gone right for the Penguins against their most bitter rival, and advancing will require an improbable and historic comeback.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The bitter legal fight between Elon Musk and the leading artificial intelligence firm, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, may come down to a few pages in one executive's personal diary.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Senate Bill 6-D, one of the cynical subjects of this special session, would have further weakened Florida’s childhood vaccination rates, which have already sunk too low.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Both Angela Ingersoll, who played the ever-hopeful Sally, and Michelle Duffy, as the cynical realist Phyllis, pulsed with vivacious energy, playing across from Rapp’s sardonic take on wound-tight Ben and Wallem’s deeply sad exploration of Buddy.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Xi’s brand of resentful nationalism, meanwhile, comes with a strong anti-American streak, and security apparatchiks see CIA spies everywhere.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
When made on a grand, industrial scale, art requires a team, always with the risk of significant contributors feeling discarded or resentful.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lindsay looks at old photos of them online with a half-wistful, half-embittered expression, but ultimately blocks him.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The latest twist in the embittered legal feud follows Semafor’s reporting that press releases sent by Musk lawyer Marc Toberoff — which used to come from a PR firm — are now being sent by WME.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Verified video and photos from the region showed how sprawling strikes across parts of Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley shot towering columns of acrid smoke into the sky above the capital and sparked a desperate evacuation.—
Matt Bradley,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The dots soon became acrid splotches of oil.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
