belligerent 1 of 2

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
Adjective
Viv Richards was the first great One-Day batter with his belligerent batting foreshadowing what was ahead, while Sachin Tendulkar’s longevity and dominance during the format’s heyday puts him in the discussion. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 This cell just across from some very belligerent grown-ass man? Marah Eakin, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025 Even if a bill collector is rude or becomes belligerent, keep your cool. Staff, Sacramento Bee, 26 Feb. 2025 Listen to this article A federal judge has ruled a Winter Park cop who fatally shot an unarmed but belligerent man at a wedding in 2022 can be personally sued for wrongful death. Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
  • The two were very aggressive from the start of the fight, with a lot of output.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • There are also more aggressive interventions for people with severe allergies who don’t respond to other medicines like desensitization therapy, also known as allergy shots.
    Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Hamas has revised its casualty figures from the Gaza war, removing hundreds of names from its official list of war fatalities, and revealing that 72% of those killed were men aged 13 to 55 – a demographic largely composed of combatants.
    Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.
    Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Users can personalize the prompt by describing features, aesthetic or desired theme—such as space explorer, fantasy warrior or tech ninja.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Sometime during the first century C.E., a fierce battle took place in what is now Vienna, Austria—likely between Roman soldiers and Germanic warriors.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.
    Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Moscow has been relying on assistance from North Korean soldiers to push back Kyiv’s advances in the Kursk region of Russia, and has been steadily advancing on the ground in eastern Ukraine, while the US attempts to broker talks that would end the conflict.
    Anna Chernova and Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Around the time of Jesus’s birth, tens of thousands of Roman soldiers marched into Judea to suppress an insurrection, a brutal campaign recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As troopers responded to the area, the wrong-way vehicle reportedly sideswiped another car on the ramp, according to state police.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The Vermont State Police agency, established in 1987, employs undercover state troopers as well as local, county and federal law-enforcement officers.
    Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The largest such killing occurred in late September, 2024, when Russian troops shot to death 16 captured Ukrainian servicemen.
    Katya Soldak, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • There are also free filing options available for elderly Americans and current and former U.S. military servicemen and women.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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