1. causing or likely to cause disagreement or argument
引起爭議的；可能引發爭論的
The new zoning laws have become a contentious issue among residents.
新的分區法規已成為居民間一個具爭議性的議題。
He avoided discussing contentious topics at the family dinner.
他在家庭聚餐時避開了討論有爭議性的話題。
Contentious Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
contentious
adjective
快速理解
What does "Contentious" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Contentious"?
形容容易引發爭論、爭執或法律糾紛的事物或人。
- 1
引發爭議的
EN: likely to cause disagreement or argument
翻譯: 指某個議題、觀點或決定容易引起人們的爭論和不同意見。
- 2
好爭吵的
EN: having a tendency to argue or quarrel
翻譯: 形容一個人性格好鬥、喜歡爭辯或挑起爭端。
- 3
有爭議的（法律）
EN: involving legal dispute or contention
翻譯: 在法律或正式場合中，指涉及爭議、有待裁決的事項或案件。
小提醒：注意：形容事物時，強調其「本質上容易引發爭論」；形容人時，則指其「性格好爭辯」。兩者焦點不同。
發音（How to Pronounce "Contentious" in English）
How to pronounce "Contentious" in English?"Contentious" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Contentious" from YouTube Videos
Jimmy Wales: How a ragtag band created Wikipedia
TED
“I mean I have to say they spelled my name right, but they really wanted to say the Bush-Kerry election is so contentious it's tearing apart the Wikipedia community, And so they quote me as saying "They're the most contentious in the history of Wikipedia".”
(1 out of 1)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Contentious"?How does "Contentious" change by context?
2. involving heated argument or conflict
充滿爭吵的；涉及激烈衝突的
The divorce proceedings were long and contentious.
這場離婚訴訟漫長且充滿爭吵。
The negotiations turned contentious when neither side would compromise.
當雙方都不願妥協時，談判變得充滿衝突。
3. having a tendency to argue or dispute
好爭吵的；愛爭辯的
She has a contentious personality and often clashes with her colleagues.
她個性好爭吵，經常與同事發生衝突。
The lawyer was known for his contentious style in the courtroom.
這位律師以其在法庭上好爭辯的風格而聞名。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Contentious"?How to make natural sentences with "Contentious"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be + contentious | 具有爭議性的 | The new policy is highly contentious. (這項新政策極具爭議性。) |
| contentious + issue/topic/debate | 有爭議的議題/話題/辯論 | Abortion remains a contentious issue in many societies. (墮胎在許多社會中仍是個有爭議的議題。) |
| contentious + noun (e.g., meeting, relationship) | 充滿爭執的… (如：會議、關係) | The board meeting was long and contentious. (這場董事會議漫長且充滿爭執。) |
| become/grow + contentious | 變得有爭議/爭執 | The discussion grew contentious as more people joined in. (隨著更多人加入，討論變得充滿爭執。) |
| a contentious + figure/person | 一位有爭議的人物 | The artist was a contentious figure throughout his career. (這位藝術家在他的整個職業生涯中都是一位有爭議的人物。) |
用法說明
How is "Contentious" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Contentious"?
contentious doing vs contentious to do
- contentious doing 通常用於描述一個「正在進行或普遍存在」的爭議性行為或狀態，強調其持續性或本質。
- contentious to do 則常指「去做某件事」這個動作本身會引發爭議，強調動作的潛在後果或引發爭議的可能性。
- 在某些語境下，兩者可以互換，但細微差別在於焦點是「行為本身」還是「執行行為的決定」。
- 在「It is contentious to...」的句型中，通常使用不定詞（to do）作為形式主語。 EN: The most contentious issue in the meeting was hiring a new manager. 翻譯: 會議中最具爭議性的議題是聘請一位新經理。
EN:It would be contentious to hire a new manager without consulting the team.
翻譯:在不諮詢團隊的情況下聘請新經理將會引發爭議。
EN:She avoided the contentious topic of budget cuts.
翻譯:她避開了削減預算這個爭議性話題。
EN:It is always contentious to propose budget cuts in an election year.
翻譯:在選舉年提出削減預算總是充滿爭議。
總結建議
在描述一個普遍被視為有爭議的「事物或話題」時，常用 contentious doing/noun；若要強調「去做某個特定動作」會引發爭議，則使用 contentious to do。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Contentious" and similar words?How to choose "Contentious" vs alternatives?
contentious vs controversial
兩者皆指「有爭議的」，但 "contentious" 更強調爭論本身，常指引發激烈、持續爭執的議題或人；"controversial" 則更廣泛地指引起不同意見或公開辯論的事物。
contentious vs argumentative
"contentious" 主要形容事物或議題本身具有爭議性；"argumentative" 則形容人「好爭辯的、愛爭論的」性格或態度。
contentious vs disputable
"contentious" 強調引發爭論的狀態或性質；"disputable" 則強調某事「可爭議的、有討論空間的」，不一定已引發激烈爭執。
口語用法
How is "Contentious" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Contentious"?
引述
在對話中，當引述或轉述一個有爭議的觀點或情況時，常用來緩和語氣，表示這不是說話者本人的主張。 EN: He brought up the contentious issue of office politics again. 翻譯: 他又提起了那個充滿爭議的辦公室政治話題。
EN:So we're back to the contentious debate about the budget.
翻譯:所以我們又回到那個爭論不休的預算辯論了。
語氣強調
用來強調某個話題或人物本身「極易引發爭論」的特質，常帶有無奈或諷刺的意味。 EN: Oh, that's a contentious topic, let's not go there. 翻譯: 喔，那是個很敏感的話題，我們還是別碰了。
EN:She's known for being quite contentious in meetings.
翻譯:她在會議上以愛爭辯而聞名。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞彙時，作為一個稍正式的填充詞，引出即將討論的棘手問題。 EN: The, uh, contentious part of the plan is the timeline. 翻譯: 這個計畫中，呃，比較有爭議的部分是時間表。
EN:It's a bit... contentious... but I think we need to reconsider.
翻譯:這有點…容易引起爭議…但我認為我們需要重新考慮。
正式寫作注意：在正式報告或學術寫作中，應避免將 "contentious" 用於口語填充或過於主觀的評價。建議使用更精確、中立的詞彙，如 "controversial"、"debated"、"disputed" 來描述有分歧的議題，並提供具體證據支持論點。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Contentious"?What fixed phrases with "Contentious" should I remember?
contentious issue
adjective + noun
有爭議的問題
contentious debate
adjective + noun
充滿爭論的辯論
contentious meeting
adjective + noun
氣氛緊張、爭執不休的會議
contentious relationship
adjective + noun
關係緊張、容易爭吵的關係
contentious nature
adjective + noun
具有爭議性的本質
become contentious
verb + adjective
變得有爭議
contentious figure
adjective + noun
有爭議的人物
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Contentious"?Which "Contentious" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He is a very contentious person. (meaning he is always arguing)
✓He is a very argumentative person.
"Contentious" primarily describes topics, issues, or situations that cause disagreement and debate, not a person's habitual argumentative nature. Use "argumentative" or "quarrelsome" for people.
×We had a contentious about the budget.
✓We had a contentious debate/discussion about the budget.
"Contentious" is an adjective and cannot be used as a noun. It must modify a noun (e.g., debate, issue, meeting, topic).
×The movie was contentious and exciting.
✓The movie was controversial and exciting.
"Contentious" strongly implies active dispute, disagreement, and likelihood of argument. For something that simply provokes differing opinions or debate without the strong connotation of conflict, "controversial" is often more appropriate.
×She felt contentious after reading the email.
✓She felt annoyed/upset/argumentative after reading the email.
"Contentious" describes the nature of a thing (likely to cause argument), not a temporary emotional state of a person. It is not synonymous with "irritated" or "ready to argue."
×It's a contentiously difficult problem.
✓It's an extremely/perennially difficult and contentious problem.
The adverb "contentiously" means "in a contentious manner" (e.g., They argued contentiously). It is not used as an intensifier like "extremely" or "incredibly."
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Contentious"?What are tense/participle forms of "Contentious"?