quarrelous
quarrelous — adjective
- quarrelouspositive
- more quarrelouscomparative
- most quarreloussuperlative
1. easily made unhappy by small problems, and quick to voice dissatisfaction about
easily made unhappy by small problems, and quick to voice dissatisfaction about them in an irritable way.
Grandfather Park grew quarrelous whenever the soup arrived at the table cold.
collocation: grow quarrelous
After the ten-hour flight, even minor delays made Jamila quarrelous with the airline staff.
The quarrelous old man complained loudly about every meal the hospital served.
Hana turned quarrelous when the meeting dragged past seven o'clock without a break.
The children were tired and quarrelous after waiting two hours in the rain.
- contented
satisfied and at ease with circumstances
用法筆記
Now rare; modern English prefers 'querulous' for this meaning. Typically describes a temporary mood brought on by discomfort, hunger, or fatigue.
常見錯誤
2. ready and eager to start a verbal fight with others; inclined to turn disagreeme
ready and eager to start a verbal fight with others; inclined to turn disagreements into heated arguments.
The quarrelous neighbours yelled insults across the fence nearly every morning.
describing a person prone to arguments
Uncle Dmitri's quarrelous mood ruined the family dinner last Sunday.
A quarrelous customer at the bakery argued loudly about the price of a loaf.
Too much drink turned the usually calm sailor quarrelous and hard to reason with.
Mrs. Castillo told her son to stay away from the quarrelous group outside the shop.
- quarrelsome
the modern standard equivalent; not archaic
- contentious
more formal; often used in legal or political contexts
- argumentative
neutral; implies a habit of debating rather than a hostile mood
- belligerent
stronger; suggests actual aggression, not just verbal disputes
用法筆記
Now rare; modern English uses 'quarrelsome' instead. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes eagerness to start disputes, not merely complaining about discomfort.