argy-bargy vs contention

argy-bargy and contention both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
argy-bargy	Yes	No	No	No
contention	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, contention is a hypernym of argy-bargy; that is, contention is a word with a broader meaning than argy-bargy:

argy-bargy: a verbal dispute; a wrangling argument
contention: a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

Other hypernyms of argy-bargy include arguing, argument, contestation, controversy, disceptation, disputation, tilt.

argy-bargy (noun)	contention (noun)
a verbal dispute; a wrangling argument	the act of competing as for profit or a prize
	a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
	a point asserted as part of an argument