4
quarrelsome(adjective, difficult, irritable, touchy, crabby)
4
short-tempered(adjective, mean, cross, nervous, irritable)
4
sophistic(adjective, false, hollow, incorrect, untrue)
4
subtle(mean, smooth, cunning, tricky, knowing)
3
bilious
3
churlish(adjective, mean, cross, short, irritable)
3
critic
3
derogatory(adjective, critical)
3
disagreeable(adjective, difficult, short, crabby, cranky)
3
disputatious(adjective, argumentative, quarrelsome, nit-picking, pharisaical)
3
edgy(adjective, mean, difficult, nervous, short)
3
fussy(adjective, severe, sharp, harsh, critical)
3
hair-splitting(adjective, nit-picking, pharisaical, pharisaic, overcritical)
3
perplexing
3
pettifogging(adjective, trivial)
3
pettish(adjective, delicate, short, sensitive, irritable)
3
picayune
3
wily(mean, smooth, cunning, tricky, knowing)
2
argumentative(adjective, contentious, quarrelsome)
2
bearish(adjective, difficult, critical, crabby, cranky)
11 years ago|11k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2015). captious thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/captious/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "captious thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/captious/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, captious thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/captious/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "captious thesaurus" 13 April 2015. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/captious/thesaurus/synonyms>