argue
Americanverb (used without object)
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to present reasons for or against a thing.
He argued in favor of capital punishment.
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to contend in oral disagreement; dispute.
The senator argued with the president about the new tax bill.
verb (used with object)
verb
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(intr) to quarrel; wrangle
they were always arguing until I arrived
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(intr; often foll by for or against) to present supporting or opposing reasons or cases in a dispute; reason
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to try to prove by presenting reasons; maintain
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(tr; often passive) to debate or discuss
the case was fully argued before agreement was reached
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(tr) to persuade
he argued me into going
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(tr) to give evidence of; suggest
her looks argue despair
Usage
What are other ways to say argue? To argue is to present reasons for or against a thing or to contend in oral disagreement. How does argue compare to discuss and debate? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- arguer noun
- counterargue verb
- overargue verb
- reargue verb
- well-argued adjective
Etymology
Origin of argue
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French arguer, from Latin argūtāre, argūtārī “to babble, chatter,” frequentative of arguere “to prove, assert, accuse” (in Medieval Latin: “to argue, reason”)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His critics argue this strategy has allowed him to avoid public scrutiny of his record.
From BBC
The overhaul was announced in November, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood arguing the previous system was too generous compared to other European countries.
From Barron's
In a state of the nation address to parliament, the Argentine leader said "the South Atlantic is the strategic battleground of the coming decades," arguing Argentina must be a "player" in the region.
From Barron's
The president is expected to argue that the country is “strong, prosperous and respected” as it enters its 250th year.
Patel, an avid hockey fan, has defended the trip, arguing that the timing was coincidental with meetings he had been planning to attend with the FBI’s European counterparts.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
