Controversial
Controversial adjective - Relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions.
Rival and controversial are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Rival" instead an adjective "Controversial".
Rival
Rival noun - One that is equal to another in status, achievement, or value.
Controversial and rival are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Controversial" instead an adjective "Rival".
Both words in one sentence
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Was the subject of a controversial play during a game against the rival Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day in 2013.
- When they first came out at the Turn of the Millennium, the fashion dolls were hugely popular in a way no prior Barbie rival had ever been, and very controversial due to their "slutty" appearance for characters who were supposed to be teenagers.
Source: Deader Than Disco / Toys - The protagonist's goal is, quite simply, to hunt down and murder rival gang members as violently as possible, before they do him in the same way (Never mind the in-story reality show, the game was pretty controversial.)
Source: Immoral Reality Show
Cite this Source
Rival and Controversial. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/rival
Controversial & Rival. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/rival>.
Rival or Controversial. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/rival.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "controversial" and "rival" have occurred on timeline