Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 VERB If you tell someone not to argue with you, you want them to do or believe what you say without protest or disagreement. □ [V + with ] Don't argue with me. □ [V ] The children go to bed at 10.30. No one dares argue.

3 VERB If you argue with someone about something, you discuss it with them, with each of you giving your different opinions. □ [V + with/about/over ] He was arguing with the King about the need to maintain the cavalry at full strength. □ [V + about/over ] They are arguing over foreign policy. □ [V n] The two of them sitting in their office were arguing this point.

4 VERB If you argue that something is true, you state it and give the reasons why you think it is true. □ [V that] His lawyers are arguing that he is unfit to stand trial. □ [be V -ed that] It could be argued that the British are not aggressive enough. [Also V with quote, V n]

5 VERB If you argue for something, you say why you agree with it, in order to persuade people that it is right. If you argue against something, you say why you disagree with it, in order to persuade people that it is wrong. □ [V + for/against ] The report argues against tax increases. □ [V n] I argued the case for an independent central bank.

6 VERB If you argue , you support your opinions with evidence in an ordered or logical way. □ [V adv/prep] He argued persuasively, and was full of confidence. [Also V ]

7 VERB If you say that no-one can argue with a particular fact or opinion, you are emphasizing that it is obviously true and so everyone must accept it. [SPOKEN , EMPHASIS ] □ [V + with ] We produced the best soccer of the tournament. Nobody would argue with that. [Also V that]

8to argue the toss → see toss SYNONYMS argue VERB

1

disagree:The two men had disagreed about reincarnation.

quarrel:At one point we quarrelled, over something silly.

row:He had earlier rowed with his girlfriend.

squabble:My four-year-old squabbles with his friends.

fight:Mostly, they fight about paying bills.

3

discuss:The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.

debate:The United Nations Security Council will debate the issue today.

thrash out:…a sincere effort by two people to thrash out differences.

dispute:Some economists disputed whether consumer spending is as strong as the figures suggest.

ar|gu|ment ◆◆◇ /ɑː ^r gjʊmənt/ (arguments )

1 N‑VAR [N that] An argument is a statement or set of statements that you use in order to try to convince people that your opinion about something is correct. □ [+ for ] There's a strong argument for lowering the price. □ [+ against ] The doctors have set out their arguments against the proposals.

2 N‑VAR An argument is a discussion or debate in which a number of people put forward different or opposing opinions. □ [+ about/over ] The incident has triggered fresh arguments about public spending.

3 N‑COUNT An argument is a conversation in which people disagree with each other angrily or noisily. □ [+ with ] Anny described how she got into an argument with one of the marchers. □  …a heated argument. [Also + between ]

4 N‑UNCOUNT If you accept something without argument , you do not question it or disagree with it. □  He complied without argument.

5 → see also counter-argument SYNONYMS argument NOUN

1

case:Both these facts strengthen the case against hanging.