hawkish

adjective

hawk·​ish ˈhȯ-kish 

1

: resembling or suggesting a hawk or the beak of a hawk in appearance

a hawkish nose

He has a thatch of black curly hair and hawkish features.

—Jeff Shear

2

: having a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocating immediate vigorous action

especially : supporting war or warlike policies

a hawkish politician

He was a frequent and persistently hawkish participant in the war councils of the Administration.

—Vincent Blasi

While definitions vary, "neoconservative" generally refers to formerly moderate policy advocates who favor a hawkish and assertive foreign policy to implant democracy and American values abroad.

—Paul Richter

hawkishly adverb

Land is expensive, scarce, and watched hawkishly by environmentalists.

—Boston Magazine

hawkishness noun

… his Western anti-government philosophy and cold-war hawkishness…

—Jon Meacham

Examples of hawkish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This isn't about being hawkish. —Brett Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

And even though Powell has opened the door to a rate cut next month, other policymakers remain more hawkish, while further weakness in the labor market could make some doves even more dovish. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025

Powell’s comments forecasting a looser monetary policy struck a different chord than in 2022, during which Powell’s then-hawkish speech pushed the S&P down by more than 3% and nearly 7% in the week after. —Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Bolton has faced assassination threats from Iran due to his hawkish stance toward the country. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 22 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hawkish

• mawkish