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

The Four Witnesses Feith is the most hawkish on export controls. —Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

The shift follows increasingly hawkish comments from some Fed officials. —Mike Winters, CNBC, 10 June 2026

However, hawkish Israelis said a withdrawal would only boost Hezbollah's stature and lead to additional cross-border attacks in the future. —Greg Myre, NPR, 10 June 2026

Islamabad’s attempts to toe the line have already prompted harsh criticism from hawkish Republicans. —Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hawkish

• mawkish