belligerent

adjective

bel·lig·er·ent | \ bə-ˈlij-rənt,

-ˈli-jə-\

Definition of belligerent

1 : inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness

2 : waging war specifically : belonging to or recognized as a state at war and protected by and subject to the laws of war

Other Words from belligerent Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Belligerent, Belligerents, and Belligerence Example Sentences Learn More about belligerent

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Choose the Right Synonym for belligerent

belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, quarrelsome, contentious mean having an aggressive or fighting attitude. belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities. belligerent nations bellicose suggests a disposition to fight. a drunk in a bellicose mood pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat. a pugnacious gangster quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause. the heat made us all quarrelsome contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling. wearied by his contentious disposition

Belligerent, Belligerents, and Belligerence

Belligerent may function as either an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it has two primary meanings, each of which corresponds to the two senses of its noun form.

The older sense (“waging war”) is generally used to refer to the actions or combatants of a nation at war, or to the nation itself ("belligerent operations"; "belligerent troops"; “the belligerent state”); it is paralleled by the earliest sense of the noun, “a nation at war” (“the belligerents assembled at the peace conference”). The second sense of belligerent (“inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness”), which usually applies to persons or animals, or to their attitudes or actions, likewise parallels the second sense of the noun (“a person taking part in a fight”). A related noun belligerence refers to “an aggressive or truculent attitude, atmosphere, or disposition” that can be either individual or global.

Examples of belligerent in a Sentence

… it took very little alcohol to make him belligerent, and he became even more thuggish and incoherent when he threw in a few sleeping pills as well. — Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 8 Oct. 2000 Coots are belligerent, territorial, quick-tempered birds. Nothing irritates a coot like another coot … — Kenneth Brower, Smithsonian, December 1998 Instead, we revered the guys on the streets, the thugs who were brazen and belligerent. They wore their hats backwards, left their belt buckles unfastened and shoelaces untied. — Nathan McCall, Washington Post, 25-31 Mar. 1991 She was a brigantine, a small two-masted vessel, refitted for belligerent action in the newly created American Navy. — Barbara W. Tuchman, The First Salute, 1988 He was drunk and belligerent. the coach became quite belligerent and spit at an umpire after being thrown out of the game

Recent Examples on the Web

Folk-rock singer-songwriters were newly flush from album sales, concert promoters hadn’t yet figured out how to make money and audiences were increasingly belligerent. — Marc Myers, WSJ, "How Joni Mitchell Managed a Rowdy Crowd," 12 Sep. 2018 Luckily, wasps' drunk and belligerent behavior doesn’t last long—once the weather gets cold, the entire colony will die and the queens will hibernate until the drama starts all over again. — Megan Friedman, Popular Mechanics, "Watch Out: Wasps Are Apparently Drunk and Angry This Time of Year," 10 Aug. 2018 In the film, Michelle Rodriguez plays a belligerent 18-year-old who fights... — Don Steinberg, WSJ, "From ‘Girlfight’ to ‘Destroyer,’ Karyn Kusama’s Women Hit Back," 22 Dec. 2018 The caller, who was visibly intoxicated, became belligerent and refused to follow commands. — Cheryl Higley, cleveland.com, "Man charged in child porn case: North Ridgeville police," 7 May 2018 Wan also manages to pull off a huge final war sequence — complete with nasty sea dragons, belligerent orcas, and the giant, kitschy crab army — that is somehow both giggle- and awe-inducing. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Aquaman goes for broke and lands somewhere between overstuffed marine opera and cheesy comic book fun," 11 Dec. 2018 All due to a belligerent tug of war over a car valued at less than a grand. — Danny Westneat, The Seattle Times, "A $21,634 bill? How a homeless woman fought her way out of tow-company hell," 17 Oct. 2018 But ever since that meeting, up to this past week, the North Koreans became much more belligerent in their tone. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - May 27, 2018," 27 May 2018 Officers arrested an intoxicated and belligerent Hansen a short time later outside of his Shoreline home during an encounter caught on police video. — Author: Lewis Kamb, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Deadliest Catch’ star Sig Hansen pleads guilty to assault charge," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'belligerent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.