Polarizing
mediumNegative tonePOH-luh-ry-zing
adjective
Definition
Dividing into sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs
Memory hook
POLAR-izing: pushing people to opposite POLES - like a magnet forcing everyone to pick North or South.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The politician's polarizing rhetoric divided the nation.”
“Social media has a polarizing effect on political discourse.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The politician's ______ rhetoric divided the nation.”
Show answer
polarizing
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Polarizing is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "divisive" or "contentious" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "unifying".
Related GRE Words
divisive
Tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people
contentious
Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial
fragmented
Broken or separated into distinct parts; lacking unity
heretic
A person holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted
pugnacious
Eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
quarrelsome
Given to or characterized by quarreling
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