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adj. 1. Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive. 2. Of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare. n. One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war. [Latin belligerāns, belligerant-, present participle of belligerāre, to wage war, from belliger, warlike : bellum, war + gerere, to make.] bel·liger·ent·ly adv. Synonyms: belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, combative These adjectives mean having or showing an eagerness to fight. Belligerent refers to a tendency to hostile behavior: A belligerent reporter badgered the politician. Bellicose describes a warlike or hostile manner or temperament: "Madison, far from being pushed into war by a bellicose Congress, had to drag his own hesitant party into it" (Garry Wills). Pugnacious suggests a natural disposition to fight: A good litigator needs a pugnacious intellect. Combative implies an eagerness to fight or resist: The senator made a combative defense of his record during the debate. |
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