controversial

/ˌkɒntrəˈvɜːʃl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːntrəˈvɜːrʃl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-shəl -ˈvər-sē-əl/ (ame, mw)

controversial — adjective

  • controversialpositive
  • more controversialcomparative
  • most controversialsuperlative

1. Something that is controversial causes people to have strong and often opposite

1.形容詞B2
釋義

Something that is controversial causes people to have strong and often opposite opinions about it, making them discuss or argue about it.

例句

Feng's proposal to cut the school's art budget proved highly controversial among teachers.

controversial + among [group]

The government's new immigration law remains one of the most controversial policies of the decade.

one of the most controversial [noun] + of [time]

同義詞
  • contentious

    More directly linked to active argument or conflict; can describe both topics and argumentative people.

  • debatable

    Weaker — suggests something is open to question without necessarily sparking strong emotion.

  • divisive

    Emphasises the effect of creating sharp disagreement between groups of people.

反義詞

文法句型

be + controversial

find/consider + noun + controversial

controversial + noun

用法筆記

Typically used to describe topics, decisions, policies, figures, or actions that spark strong public disagreement. It is less commonly applied to a person's argumentative character — for that meaning, 'contentious' or 'disputatious' is more appropriate.

常見錯誤

❌The topic is controversial about the new law.
✅The topic of the new law is controversial.
💡'controversial' is not followed directly by 'about'; use 'of' to link the topic and its subject.
❌My uncle is a very controversial person — he loves to argue with everyone.
✅My uncle is a very contentious person
💡he loves to argue with everyone.' — 'controversial' describes things that cause debate among others, not a person who enjoys arguing.