argue
(redirected from argues)Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.
Related to argues: Argos
ar·gue
(är′gyo͞o)v. ar·gued, ar·gu·ing, ar·gues
v.tr.
1. To put forth reasons for or against; debate: "It is time to stop arguing tax-rate reductions and to enact them" (Paul Craig Roberts).
2. To attempt to prove by reasoning; maintain or contend: The speaker argued that more immigrants should be admitted to the country.
3. To give evidence of; indicate: "Similarities cannot always be used to argue descent" (Isaac Asimov).
4. To persuade or influence (another), as by presenting reasons: argued the clerk into lowering the price.
v.intr.
1. To put forth reasons for or against something: argued for dismissal of the case; argued against an immediate counterattack.
2. To engage in a quarrel; dispute: We need to stop arguing and engage in constructive dialogue.
[Middle English arguen, from Old French arguer, from Latin argūtāre, to babble, chatter, frequentative of arguere, to make clear; see arg- in Indo-European roots.]
ar′gu·er n.
Synonyms: argue, quarrel1, wrangle, squabble, bicker
These verbs denote verbal exchange involving disagreement or conflict. To argue is to present reasons or facts in order to persuade someone of something: "I am not arguing with you—I am telling you" (James McNeill Whistler).
It is also often used of more heated exchanges: The couple argued for hours over who was at fault.
Quarrel denotes angry, often ongoing conflict: The band quarreled with their manager over money.
It can also refer to continuing disputes of a public or professional nature: "Experts still quarrel about the ultimate cause of Alzheimer's [disease]" (Geoffrey Cowley).
Wrangle refers to loud, contentious argument: "audiences ... who can be overheard wrangling about film facts in restaurants and coffee houses" (Sheila Benson).
Squabble and bicker both suggest sharp, persistent, bad-tempered infighting, often of a petty nature: "A nobility of warriors ... they squabbled endlessly on political matters, resolving the problems of dynastic succession with one bloodbath after another" (Carlos Fuentes). The senators bickered about adjustments to the tax proposal for weeks. See Also Synonyms at discuss.
These verbs denote verbal exchange involving disagreement or conflict. To argue is to present reasons or facts in order to persuade someone of something: "I am not arguing with you—I am telling you" (James McNeill Whistler).
It is also often used of more heated exchanges: The couple argued for hours over who was at fault.
Quarrel denotes angry, often ongoing conflict: The band quarreled with their manager over money.
It can also refer to continuing disputes of a public or professional nature: "Experts still quarrel about the ultimate cause of Alzheimer's [disease]" (Geoffrey Cowley).
Wrangle refers to loud, contentious argument: "audiences ... who can be overheard wrangling about film facts in restaurants and coffee houses" (Sheila Benson).
Squabble and bicker both suggest sharp, persistent, bad-tempered infighting, often of a petty nature: "A nobility of warriors ... they squabbled endlessly on political matters, resolving the problems of dynastic succession with one bloodbath after another" (Carlos Fuentes). The senators bickered about adjustments to the tax proposal for weeks. See Also Synonyms at discuss.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
argue
(ˈɑːɡjuː)vb, -gues, -guing or -gued
1. (intr) to quarrel; wrangle: they were always arguing until I arrived.
2. (intr; often foll by for or against) to present supporting or opposing reasons or cases in a dispute; reason
3. (tr; may take a clause as object) to try to prove by presenting reasons; maintain
4. (tr; often passive) to debate or discuss: the case was fully argued before agreement was reached.
5. (tr) to persuade: he argued me into going.
6. (tr) to give evidence of; suggest: her looks argue despair.
[C14: from Old French arguer to assert, charge with, from Latin arguere to make clear, accuse; related to Latin argūtus clear, argentum silver]
ˈarguer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ar•gue
(ˈɑr gyu)v. -gued, -gu•ing. v.i.
1. to present reasons for or against a thing: to argue in favor of capital punishment.
2. to contend in oral disagreement; dispute: to argue with a colleague; to argue about the new tax bill.
v.t. 3. to state the reasons for or against: to argue a case.
4. to maintain in reasoning: to argue that the news report was biased.
5. to persuade or compel by reasoning: to argue someone out of a plan.
6. to show; indicate: His answer argues careful thought.
[1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French arguer < Latin argūtāre, -ārī, frequentative of arguere to prove, assert, accuse (Medieval Latin: argue, reason)]
ar′gu•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
argue
Past participle: argued
Gerund: arguing
| Imperative |
|---|
| argue |
| argue |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  argue - present reasons and arguments re-argue - argue again; "This politician will be forced into re-arguing an old national campaign" present, lay out, represent - bring forward and present to the mind; "We presented the arguments to him"; "We cannot represent this knowledge to our formal reason" expostulate - reason with (somebody) for the purpose of dissuasion |
| 2. |  argue - have an argument about something stickle - dispute or argue stubbornly (especially minor points) spar - fight verbally; "They were sparring all night" bicker, brabble, pettifog, squabble, quibble, niggle - argue over petty things; "Let's not quibble over pennies" altercate, argufy, quarrel, scrap, dispute - have a disagreement over something; "We quarreled over the question as to who discovered America"; "These two fellows are always scrapping over something" oppose - be against; express opposition to; "We oppose the ban on abortion" | |
| 3. |  argue - give evidence of; "The evidence argues for your claim"; "The results indicate the need for more work" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
argue
verb
1. quarrel, fight, row, clash, dispute, disagree, feud, squabble, spar, wrangle, bicker, have an argument, cross swords, be at sixes and sevens, fight like cat and dog, go at it hammer and tongs, bandy words, altercate They were still arguing. I could hear them down the road.
2. discuss, debate, dispute, thrash out, exchange views on, controvert The two of them were arguing this point.
argue someone into something persuade someone to, convince someone to, talk someone into, prevail upon someone to, talk someone round to
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
argue
verb2. To engage in a quarrel:
argue into
To succeed in causing (a person) to act in a certain way:
bring, bring around (or round), convince, get, induce, persuade, prevail on (or upon), sell (on), talk into.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
argue
[ˈɑːgjuː]A. VI
1. (= disagree) → discutir; (= fight) → pelearse
his parents were always arguing → sus padres estaban siempre discutiendo or peleándose
he started arguing with the referee → empezó a discutir con el árbitro
to argue (with sb) about or over sth → discutir or pelearse (con algn) por algo
they were arguing about what to do next → estaban discutiendo sobre qué hacer después
she achieved it, you can't argue with that → lo logró, eso es indiscutible
I didn't dare argue → no me atreví a llevar la contraria
just get in and don't argue (with me)! → ¡entra y no (me) discutas!
his parents were always arguing → sus padres estaban siempre discutiendo or peleándose
he started arguing with the referee → empezó a discutir con el árbitro
to argue (with sb) about or over sth → discutir or pelearse (con algn) por algo
they were arguing about what to do next → estaban discutiendo sobre qué hacer después
she achieved it, you can't argue with that → lo logró, eso es indiscutible
I didn't dare argue → no me atreví a llevar la contraria
just get in and don't argue (with me)! → ¡entra y no (me) discutas!
2. (= reason) he argues well → presenta sus argumentos de modo convincente, razona bien
to argue against sth → dar razones en contra de algo
to argue against doing sth → dar razones para que no se haga algo
to argue for sth → abogar por algo
he argued for the president's powers to be restricted → abogó en favor de que se limitaran los poderes del presidente
he argues from a deeply religious conviction → sus argumentos parten de una profunda convicción religiosa
to argue against sth → dar razones en contra de algo
to argue against doing sth → dar razones para que no se haga algo
to argue for sth → abogar por algo
he argued for the president's powers to be restricted → abogó en favor de que se limitaran los poderes del presidente
he argues from a deeply religious conviction → sus argumentos parten de una profunda convicción religiosa
3. (= indicate)
his lack of experience argues against him → su falta de experiencia es un factor en su contra
it argues well for him → es un elemento a su favor
his lack of experience argues against him → su falta de experiencia es un factor en su contra
it argues well for him → es un elemento a su favor
B. VT
2. (= persuade) he argued me into/out of going → me convenció de que fuera/no fuera
he argued his way out of getting the sack → consiguió que no lo despidieran con buenos razonamientos
he argued his way out of getting the sack → consiguió que no lo despidieran con buenos razonamientos
3. (= maintain) → sostener
to argue that → sostener que
he argued that it couldn't be done → sostenía que no se podía hacer
it could be argued that we are not doing enough → se podría decir que no estamos haciendo lo suficiente
to argue that → sostener que
he argued that it couldn't be done → sostenía que no se podía hacer
it could be argued that we are not doing enough → se podría decir que no estamos haciendo lo suficiente
4. (= cite, claim) (esp Jur) → alegar
the defence argued diminished responsibility → la defensa alegó un atenuante de responsabilidad
the defence argued diminished responsibility → la defensa alegó un atenuante de responsabilidad
5. to argue a case
5.2. (fig) a well argued case → un argumento bien expuesto
to argue the case for sth → abogar en favor de algo
to argue the case for sth → abogar en favor de algo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
argue
(ˈaːgjuː) verb1. (with with someone, about something) to quarrel with (a person) or discuss (something) with a person in a not very friendly way. I'm not going to argue; Will you children stop arguing with each other about whose toy that is!discutir
2. (with for, ~against) to suggest reasons for or for not doing something. I argued for/against accepting the plan.argüir, argumentar
3. (with into, ~out of) to persuade (a person) (not) to do something. I'll try to argue him into going; He argued her out of buying the dress. persuadir de/a(positivo); disuadir de (negativo)
4. to discuss, giving one's reasoning. She argued the point very cleverly.sostener
ˈarguable adjective able to be put forward in argument. It is arguable that he would have been better to go.discutible
ˈargument noun1. a quarrel or unfriendly discussion. They are having an argument about/over whose turn it is.discusión
2. a set of reasons; a piece of reasoning. The argument for/against going; a philosophical argument.argumento
ˌarguˈmentative (-ˈmentətiv) adjective fond of arguing. discutidor, argumentador
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
argue
→ discutirMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
argue
v. razonar, discutir, sostener.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012