combative

1 of 2

adjective

com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈba-tiv 

: marked by eagerness to fight or contend

combatively adverb

combativeness noun

combativeness

2 of 2

noun

com·​bat·​ive·​ness

kəm-ˈba-tiv-nəs

plural -es

: the state or quality of being combative : pugnacity, belligerence

admitting that man's nature will never lose the combativeness, hostility, and animosity which are so large a part of it

—Norman Angell

Synonyms of combative

Adjective

• aggressive
• militant
• hostile
• contentious
• confrontational
• assaultive

Examples of combative in a Sentence

Adjective

When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.

channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The platform still plays that game, though even there the tone has become somewhat combative, as one creator notes to THR. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

Addressing this head-on, in the moment, could come across as combative. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

The candidate, whose relishing of combative interviews and debates verges occasionally on smugness, was slated to potentially appear on 60 Minutes before the November election, people familiar with the planning said. — semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

The agent, David Gonzalez, 32, reportedly became combative when the homeowner’s 72-year-old dad tried to shoo the apparently drunk stranger away. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1826, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

combative

adjective

com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈbat-iv 

: eager to fight : pugnacious

combativeness noun