slanging match

Heated insult exchange

A slanging match is a heated argument in which people hurl insults at each other rather than engage substantively: The debate devolved into a slanging match.

The term is chiefly British.

Slang here refers to abusive language, not informal vocabulary.

quarrellingDisputing with anger
squabbleTrivial noisy argument
heated exchangeAngry verbal conflict
clashViolent disagreement or collision
altercationHeated verbal dispute

row · spat · back-and-forth · insult · retort · dispute · having words · tussle · argle-bargle · barney · wrangling · going at it · verbal sparring · blow-up · anger · argument · brawl · name-calling

Categories

disputesargument, beef, bicker, clash, conflict
verbal fightsargument, quarrel, dispute, confrontation, heated exchange
commotioncommotion, clamor, brouhaha, bedlam, hullabaloo
conflictsargument, fight, war, battle, dispute

Opposites

civility of discourse

slanging matchreasoned argument

Position backed by logic

polite conversation · diplomatic exchange

communicative purpose

slanging matchfriendly chat

Casual, pleasant conversation

peace talks · reconciliation · mediation · negotiation · heart-to-heart

Family

slang, slangy, slangily, slanginess, slanging, match, matches, matched, matching

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Timeless · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG