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

Challenger Robert Luna ultimately beat the combative sitting sheriff, Alex Villanueva, by more than 20 percentage points. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

The combative couple at the centre of the series are film star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech mogul Morgan Henderson (Dominic West). — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026

The remarks stand in stark contrast to Trump’s earlier posture toward Greenland, which had included months of combative rhetoric, tariff threats and a refusal to rule out military force to acquire the island. — Alejandra Jaramillo, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Current and former employees said Allen is largely an absentee leader who is combative and who put his workers in harm’s way by not acting sooner to address building concerns prior to a roof collapse last year. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 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