contention

Roget category 720

5. Words relating to the voluntary powers
› 5.4. Antagonism
›› 5.4.2. Active antagonism

#720. Contention

noun

contention, strife — contest, contestation^† — struggle — belligerency — opposition etc. 708.
controversy, polemics — debate etc. (discussion) 476 — war of words, logomachy^†, litigation — paper war — high words etc. (quarrel) 713 — sparring etc. v.. competition, rivalry — corrivalry^†, corrivalship^†, agonism^†, concours^†, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap — regatta — field day — sham fight, Derby day — turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy^†, gymkhana^† — boat race, torpids^†.
wrestling, greco-roman wrestling — pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense — spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting — quarterstaff, single stick — gladiatorship^†, gymnastics — jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti^†, sumo — athletics, athletic sports — games of skill etc. 840.
shindy^† — fracas etc. (discord) 713 — clash of arms — tussle, scuffle, broil, fray — affray, affrayment^† — velitation^† — colluctation^†, luctation^† — brabble^†, brigue^†, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash^†, bushfighting^†.
free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight.
conflict, skirmish — rencounter^†, encounter — rencontre^†, collision, affair, brush, fight — battle, battle royal — combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament — tilt, tilting [Mediev.] — tournay^†, list — pitched battle.
death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon^†.
hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war.
naval engagement, naumachia^†, sea fight.
duel, duello [It] — single combat, monomachy^†, satisfaction, passage d'armes [Fr.], passage of arms, affair of honor — triangular duel — hostile meeting, digladiation^† — deeds of arms, feats of arms — appeal to arms etc. (warfare) 722.
pugnacity — combativeness etc. adj. — bone of contention etc. 713.

verb

contend — contest, strive, struggle, scramble, wrestle — spar, square — exchange blows, exchange fisticuffs — fib^†, justle^†, tussle, tilt, box, stave, fence — skirmish — pickeer^† — fight etc. (war) 722 — wrangle etc. (quarrel) 713.
contend with &c., grapple with, engage with, close with, buckle with, bandy with, try conclusions with, have a brush etc. n.. with, tilt with — encounter, fall foul of, pitch into, clapperclaw^†, run a tilt at — oppose etc. 708 — reluct.
join issue, come to blows, go to loggerheads, set to, come to the scratch, exchange shots, measure swords, meet hand to hand — take up the cudgels, take up the glove, take up the gauntlet — enter the lists — couch one's lance — give satisfaction — appeal to arms — etc. (warfare) 722.
lay about one — break the peace.
compete with, cope with, vie with, race with — outvie^†, emulate, rival — run a race — contend for &c., stipulate for, stickle for — insist upon, make a point of.

adjective

contending etc. v. — together by the ears, at loggerheads.
at war.
at issue.
competitive, rival — belligerent — contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful^† — warlike etc. 722 — quarrelsome etc. 901 — pugnacious — pugilistic, gladiatorial — palestric^†, palestrical^†.

phrase

a verbis ad verbera [Lat.] — a word and a blow — a very pretty quarrel as it stands" [Sheridan]; commune periculum concordiam parit [Lat.] — lis litem generat [Lat.].

The content on this page comes straight from Project Gutenberg Etext of Roget's Thesaurus No. Two, which consists of the acclaimed work by Peter Mark Roget augmented with more recent material. Some changes were made to the formatting for improved readability.

Bold numbers signify related Roget categories. A dagger symbol (†) indicates archaic words and expressions no longer in common use.

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