Entry Word: belligerence

Function: noun

Meaning: an inclination to fight or quarrel <among the Native American tribes of the Colonial period, the Iroquois were known for their belligerence>

Synonyms aggression, aggressiveness, bellicosity, combativeness, contentiousness, disputatiousness, fight, militancy, pugnacity, scrappiness, truculence

Related Words antagonism, fierceness, hostility, unfriendliness; acidity, biliousness, crabbiness, crankiness, crossness, disagreeableness, fretfulness, grouchiness, grumpiness, huffiness, irascibility, irritability, irritableness, orneriness, peevishness, pettishness, petulance, querulousness, rudeness, surliness, testiness, waspishness

Phrases chip on one's shoulder

Near Antonyms affability, amiability, amicability, benevolence, complaisance, cordiality, friendliness, geniality, graciousness, pleasantness, sociability; gentleness, kindliness, mildness

Antonyms pacifism