RANCOROUS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

rancorous

adjective

ˈraŋ-k(ə-)rəs

Definition of rancorous

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

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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 Since the merger was blocked, the two grocery rivals have been locked in a rancorous and active legal fight over each other’s role in the scheme. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 When headlines are filled with the fluctuations of gas prices, various branches of the federal government undertake rancorous investigations. — Daniel Yergin, Time, 20 June 2026 Amid rancorous debates over Israel, some Jewish leaders warn that anti-Zionism has spilled over into antisemitism, encouraging segments of the party to question not just Israeli policy but also the participation of Jews in American political life. — Matthew Schmitz, Washington Post, 29 May 2026 The meeting was mostly a polite affair, free from some of the rancorous shouting in past IACC meetings. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rancorous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rancorous

Adjective

The president and the New York attorney general have a long and acrimonious history, including her sweeping fraud case against him and his businesses and his Justice Department filing fraud charges against her last year.

— Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026
Of course, Kiffin left, a bitter and acrimonious separation that played out over 14 agonizing days, just as the Rebels prepped for their first College Football Playoff game in history.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of acrimonious

Adjective

Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.

— JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
Keeping The Faith So all’s well that ends well, and frantic, for Halfway 2 Jesus, Rock’s 13th album and the follow-up to 2022’s angry, politically charged Bad Reputation.

— Gary Graff, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of angry

Adjective

Harvard Health Publishing notes that sloppy technique can strain the neck and leave you stiff and sore, which happen to be some of the same symptoms people blame on tech neck.

— Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
My arm is sore from holding my phone at arm’s length for 10 minutes during the media scrum after the show.

— Vogue, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of sore

Adjective

In the ensuing decade, lawyers at Texas Instruments and at Fairchild fought a bitter court battle over the patent.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
And as a bitter midterm campaign season enters its final weeks, Bouchon and Goldhirsh understand the stakes.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

This time, Michael sounds less idealistic and much more cynical.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Goor and Del Tredici are gearing up to debut their next NBC sitcom, a single-camera workplace comedy starring Jake Johnson as a cynical detective working at a past-its-prime private investigator agency in Hollywood.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

Keith David, Macon Blair, Killer Mike, Cody Lightning, Siena East, and Michael Hitchcock all return as some of Lee’s Tulsa-area buddies, employees, and resentful acquaintances.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The once-promising prodigy will grow dissolute, remorseful and resentful of his wife, who outlives him.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of resentful

Adjective

After a pair of SEC Championships and a national title during his five-year tenure with the Tigers, Saban departed for the NFL, leaving many folks on the bayou feeling embittered and betrayed.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
In one scene, Amy heroically assuages an embittered foster kid by returning him to the memory of a fun school field trip.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of embittered

Adjective

All law enforcement smell the same, like acrid bile buried in roses.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Finding places to play Eight miles from central Nairobi, the air over the Dandora landfill is gauzy with the acrid, chemical smoke of burning garbage.

— Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of acrid

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“Rancorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rancorous. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rancorous

adjective

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