argue

UK: /ˈɑː^rgjuː/ US: /ˈɑrgju/ ,(är′gyo̅o̅)

Inflections of 'argue' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

argues

v 3rd person singular

arguing

v pres p

argued

v past

argued

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ar•gue /ˈɑrgyu/   v., -gued, -gu•ing. 

1. to present or state reasons for or against a thing: [no object]
   argued in favor of capital punishment.
   [~ + for/against + object]
   argued for capital punishment.
   [~ + object]
   to argue a case.
   [~ + that clause]
   His essay argued that the death penalty should be abolished.
2. to disagree or quarrel;
   dispute:
   [no object] have been arguing all day.
3. to persuade:
   [~ + object + out of + object] We tried to argue her out of the idea.

Related Words

argue is a verb, argument is a noun, argumentative is an adjective:
I argued with her about the money. We had an argument about money. He was in a very argumentative mood.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ar•gue  (är′gyo̅o̅), v., -gued, -gu•ing. 
v.i. 

1. to present reasons for or against a thing:
   He argued in favor of capital punishment.
2. to contend in oral disagreement;
   dispute:
   The Senator argued with the President about the new tax bill.

v.t. 

3. to state the reasons for or against:
   The lawyers argued the case.
4. to maintain in reasoning:
   to argue that the news report must be wrong.
5. to persuade, drive, etc., by reasoning:
   to argue someone out of a plan.
6. to show;
   prove;
   imply;
   indicate:
   His clothes argue poverty.

• Latin argūtāre, -ārī, frequentative of arguere to prove, assert, accuse (Medieval Latin: argue, reason), though Latin frequentative form attested only in sense "babble, chatter''
• Anglo-French, Old French arguer
• Middle English 1275–1325

ar′gu•er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1., 2.
  Argue, debate, discuss imply using reasons or proofs to support or refute an assertion, proposition, or principle.
  Argue implies presenting one's reasons:
  The scientists argued for a safer testing procedure;
  
  it may also imply disputing in an angry or excited way:
  His parents argue all the time.
  To discuss is to present varied opinions and views:
  to discuss ways and means.
  To debate is to interchange formal (usually opposing) arguments, esp. on public questions:
  to debate a proposed amendment.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

argue / ˈɑːɡjuː/ verb ( -gues, -guing, -gued)

1. (intransitive) to quarrel; wrangle: they were always arguing until I arrived
2. (intr; often followed by for or against) to present supporting or opposing reasons or cases in a dispute; reason
3. (tr; may take a clause as object) to try to prove by presenting reasons; maintain
4. (tr; often passive) to debate or discuss
5. (transitive) to persuade
6. (transitive) to give evidence of; suggest: her looks argue despair

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French arguer to assert, charge with, from Latin arguere to make clear, accuse; related to Latin argūtus clear, argentum silver

ˈarguer noun