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belligerent

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word belligerent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of belligerent are bellicose, contentious, pugnacious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

When would bellicose be a good substitute for belligerent?

The words bellicose and belligerent can be used in similar contexts, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

Where would contentious be a reasonable alternative to belligerent?

The synonyms contentious and belligerent are sometimes interchangeable, but contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When might pugnacious be a better fit than belligerent?

While the synonyms pugnacious and belligerent are close in meaning, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

When is it sensible to use quarrelsome instead of belligerent?

The words quarrelsome and belligerent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belligerent
Noun
European powers had withdrawn the crew’s belligerent status, and the new American president, Andrew Johnson, had excluded them from the general amnesty offered to Confederate soldiers. Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 June 2025 On Tuesday, Trump adopted his most belligerent stance yet on Iran in a series of social media posts. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 17 June 2025 Iranians have been outspoken inside the country and across an ever-growing diaspora against the Islamic Republic’s human-rights abuses, constriction of personal freedoms, economic mismanagement, and belligerent foreign policy. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025 The Iranian regime’s utter ineptitude is matched by a record of belligerent action and rhetoric. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
  • With that in mind, it's expected the Dodgers will be very aggressive at the trade deadline.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • Maritz has been aggressive in challenges and positive with pushing forward into attack.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2025
  • That’s how Tim Burton described the key combatants in his 1989 blockbuster, which created the template for the modern superhero film — one in which darkness, vivid production design, and moody characters would reign supreme.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.
    Ali Sawafta, USA Today, 13 July 2025
  • Buhari vowed to do more to fight militant groups and fix the economy as the demonstrations turned deadly and continued to simmer for the remainder of his presidency.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • In that story, Kara is approached by galactic warrior Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley), who asks for help hunting down those who killed her father and destroyed her world.
    EW.com, EW.com, 11 July 2025
  • In a futuristic and extremely crime-ridden Detroit, cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is killed in the line of duty and brought back as a cyborg warrior by a shady corporation.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Forced to work in a more hostile environment than.when it was first established in 2019, the mission faces limited options for evacuations due to the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights, and mobility, because of gangs’ ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
  • From retail shops to corner bodegas and independent grocery stores, the past few years have not only forced small business owners to confront staggering economic challenges, but also a needlessly hostile regulatory environment brought on by out-of-touch policymakers.
    Tosha Miller, New York Daily News, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The victim was a 20-year-old American soldier stationed in West Germany, Edward Pimental, for whom the group set a murderous honeytrap.
    Katja Hoyer, semafor.com, 19 July 2025
  • The film follow three parallel stories—land, sea and air—as Allied soldiers (led by Fionn Whitehead), a civilian boat captain (Mark Rylance) and an RAF pilot (Tom Hardy) each play their part in the daring evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 during World War II.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • House left the scene and reportedly went on to carjack a vehicle after shooting the trooper, investigators said.
    Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 16 July 2025
  • Multiple churchgoers gunned down after suspect shoots state trooper in wild rampage.
    , FOXNews.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system.
    Kevin Freking, Twin Cities, 5 July 2025
  • Pact, based in Watertown, has in the prior two years raised about $10,000 for America’s servicemen and women, a spokeswoman for the company said.
    Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 4 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

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