What is a word for fighting verbally?

Asked by: Joelle Russel  |  Last update: December 18, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (32 votes)

Some common synonyms of quarrel are altercation, squabble, and wrangle. While all these words mean "a noisy dispute usually marked by anger," quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

What is the word for attacking someone verbally?

Verbal abuse (also known as verbal aggression, verbal attack, verbal violence, verbal assault, psychic aggression, or psychic violence) is a type of psychological/mental abuse that involves the use of oral or written language directed to a victim.

What is a word for verbally combative?

synonyms: contentious, disputatious, disputative, litigious. argumentative. given to or characterized by argument.

What is a synonym for the word fight talk?

argument bickering blowup brawl flap fracas quarrel run-in tiff wrangle. Strong matches. beef brush combat contest controversy dispute embroilment fuss go hassle row rumble set-to words. Weak matches. bone of contention squabbling.

What is fighting words speech?

Fighting words are defined as words “which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” As the Supreme Court explained in Chaplinsky, “[s]uch utterances are no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value as a step to truth that any ...

How To Argue Against Someone Who Twists Your Words

38 related questions found

What can I say instead of fighting?

Examples Sentences
  • combat.
  • battling.
  • opposing.
  • competing.
  • bickering.
  • resisting.
  • warfare.
  • contending.

What is a synonym for verbally abusive?

verbal abuse (noun as in scurrilousness) Weak matches. abuse bad-mouthing berating billingsgate blame castigation censure contumely criticism defamation insults invective libel obloquy railing reprimand reproach revilement reviling scolding scurrility slander tirade upbraiding.

What's another word for aggressive speaking?

Some common synonyms of aggressive are assertive, militant, and self-assertive.

What is a verbally aggressive person?

Verbal aggression is the communication-based version of throwing a punch at the elder victim, with the intent to induce a desired emotional response. Verbal abuse can also take the form of bullying, which is emotional intimidation perpetrated by a person who is stronger than or in a position of power over the victim.

What is the word for aggressive and argumentative?

belligerent combative contentious opinionated. Weak matches. contrary controversial disputatious factious fire-eating having a chip on one's shoulder litigious pugnacious quarrelsome salty scrappy spiky touchy.

What do you call someone fighting or playing against you?

Opponent, competitor, rival refer to persons engaged in a contest.

What is a word for intense argument?

quarrel. The word quarrel is used as a noun to refer to angry disputes and arguments that get so intense that they temporarily end relationships. As a verb, quarrel means “to angrily disagree” and is used in a sentence as in He sat nervously in the corner as his parents quarreled over his punishment.

What is a verbal altercation?

quarrel, wrangle, altercation, squabble mean a noisy dispute usually marked by anger. quarrel implies heated verbal contention, stressing strained or severed relations which may persist beyond the contention.

What is the slang word for fighting?

Just a few slang terms for physical altercations: Fistfight, scrap, scrape, rumble, throw-down, throw-knuckles, fisticuffs, get-down, get it on, mash, mashup, thump, dance, street-fight, brawl, tangle, mix-up, spar, cock-fight, go-round, pitfight, dogfight, catfight, frenzy, wreck, altercations, crossed, roll, lock-up.

What is a synonym for verbally combative?

Easily angered, or disposed to quarreling or arguing with others. aggressive. belligerent. antagonistic. bellicose.

What is a word for speaking rudely?

bluntly crudely harshly. Strong match. discourteously. Weak matches. barbarously boorishly brazenly coarsely contemptuously crassly curtly disrespectfully imprudently indecently indecorously insolently loudly roughly sassily sharply snootily tactlessly unabashedly uncivilly uncouthly ungraciously vulgarly.

What is a word for yelling angrily?

bawling holler howling scream screeching shout yell yelping yowling.

What is fighting verbally called?

Some common synonyms of altercation are quarrel, squabble, and wrangle. While all these words mean "a noisy dispute usually marked by anger," altercation implies fighting with words as the chief weapon, although it may also connote blows.

What is a word for causing difficulty?

aggravate discombobulate discommode discompose disoblige disrupt disturb exasperate interfere irk meddle trouble try upset. Weak matches. discomfort give a hard time hang up make it tough put in a spot put on the spot put out put to trouble. give trouble (verb as in inconvenience) Strongest matches.

What is a synonym for verbal fight?

noun as in verbal fight. Synonyms Antonyms. Strongest matches. altercation, bickering, brawl, clash, controversy, debate, disagreement, dispute, exchange, feud, quarrel, squabble.

What is a professional word for fight?

action altercation argument battle bout brawl clash combat conflict confrontation contest controversy disagreement dispute duel exchange feud match melee quarrel riot rivalry round scuffle skirmish struggle war wrangling.

What are fighting words in simple terms?

Fighting words are words meant to incite violence such that they may not be protected free speech under the First Amendment .

How do you talk instead of arguing?

Five proven steps to communicate without fighting
  1. #1: Learn what your needs are first. First, make sure you fully understand what you're needing to get out of your argument. ...
  2. #2: Let the storm pass. ...
  3. #3: Be specific about what you need. ...
  4. #4: Agree on a plan. ...
  5. #5: Recognize your partner's efforts.