rancorous

[rang-ker-uhs]

adjective

1. full of or showing rancor.

Other Word Forms

• rancorously adverb
• rancorousness noun
• unrancorous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rancorous¹

First recorded in 1580–90; rancor + -ous

Example Sentences

After more than 20 rancorous years apart, a rerelease of the Talking Heads classic 1983 concert film “Stop Making Sense” has brought détente, and maybe more.

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No rancorous divorces or business disputes, restraining orders or recent financial trouble — nothing connecting him to the two men accused of his murder.

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After a rancorous campaign that saw seven people vie for three spots on the five-person council, the race for the final one ended in a tie.

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Garman said the county’s lawyer assures him that no matter how rancorous the debate, the vote by the county board is symbolic: all that matters is the registrar’s certification.

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Harris returned to well-worn themes such as reproductive freedom, love for country and exhaustion with a decade of rancorous politics.

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Related Words

• acrimonious 
• bitter 
• resentful 
• spiteful