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

Paris has long been more hawkish than Berlin on its support for Ukraine. —Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 26 June 2025

The Biden Administration considered other candidates, including the more hawkish Kaja Kallas, then Prime Minister of Estonia. —Adam Rasmi, Time, 20 June 2025

Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy leading the U.S. delegation, has become increasingly hawkish in his rhetoric about what is and isn't acceptable for the Trump administration in any prospective agreement. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

In the older New York, progressive politicians such as the late Congressman Charlie Rangel were very hawkish on Israel. —Lincoln Mitchell, The Conversation, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for hawkish

• mawkish