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Example:

The name Self-Arming Group isn't as [...] as Gun Club, but controversial nevertheless.

What word can I use in the example above?

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  • 1
    Inflammatory might work here.
    – anongoodnurse
    Aug 29, 2014 at 4:11
  • 2
    I'm inclined to think in the opposite direction. In my book, Self-Arming Group isn't as neutral as Gun Club, but controversial nonetheless.
    – Jim
    Aug 29, 2014 at 4:58
  • 1
    Also consider phrases that contain terms like in your face, confrontational, out there, edgy, blatant.
    – James Waldby - jwpat7
    Aug 29, 2014 at 5:01
  • How about incendiary? I also think contentious sounds good.
    – 0MM0
    Aug 29, 2014 at 5:02
  • 2
    Have you looked at a thesaurus?
    – oerkelens
    Aug 29, 2014 at 7:29

7 Answers 7

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Polarizing - In the world of politics, polarization (or polarisation) can refer to the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarization_(politics)

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  • 1
    Except that, by any measure, "Self-Arming Group" is more polarizing and more inflammatory than "Gun Club".
    – Hot Licks
    Mar 16, 2015 at 20:57
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Controversial. The adjective you want is controversial. Your sentence then would simply be saying that the one is more controversial than the other. But anyway that's what controversial means: likely to cause controversy or causing controversy.

But if you are just looking for a synonym for controversial, then ask for that (but you could look it up).

  • arguable
  • contentious
  • debatable
  • disputable
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  • 1
    Using controversial for the blank in the sentence might be stylistically interesting, though, because it appears again a few words later.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Aug 29, 2014 at 6:50
4

I think the word objectionable could work in your sentence. The online Oxford English Dictionary defines it as:

Arousing distaste or opposition; unpleasant or offensive.

So your sentence would be: The name Self-Arming Group is not as objectionable as Gun Club, but controversial nonetheless.

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2
  • +1 for the word. Even though I think that nobody in a Gun Club would care enough about being PC to actually refer themselves as a Self-Arming Group- They're a Gun Club.
    – Jim
    Aug 29, 2014 at 5:02
  • Reference, please.
    – tchrist ♦
    Aug 30, 2014 at 21:26
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contentious -

: likely to cause people to argue or disagree

: involving a lot of arguing

: likely or willing to argue

Source http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contentious

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inflamatory adj. tending to excite anger, disorder, or tumult

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflammatory

The name Self-Arming Group isn't as inflamatory as Gun Club, but is controversial nevertheless.

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1

Speech which stirs up strong feelings on a controversial issue is provocative:

Causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately

[Oxford Online Dictionary]

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  • A dictionary definition and link would strengthen this answer.
    – Nathaniel is protesting
    Jul 15, 2016 at 13:37
  • Hello, David. Your answer was flagged as low-quality by the system for its length and content. Please try to include a dictionary definition, link and source when you post an answer. It will never be flagged then. I edited your answer.
    – user140086
    Jul 15, 2016 at 14:05
0

These don't mean likely to cause controversy, but they seem to work in your example sentence: loaded or charged. Perhaps emotionally charged.

Edit: I just realized, loaded is awesome in your example sentence.

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