truculence

noun

ˈtrə-kyə-lən(t)s How to pronounce truculence (audio)
Definition of truculencenext
1
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel a congenital truculence that resulted in his spending a significant amount of time in the principal's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the sergeant's truculence was revealed when she made the recruits run even further in the heat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of truculence Last fall’s announcement that Amazon’s Prime Video platform would be teeing up four hours of exclusive coverage of the Masters was met with a predictable show of teeth-gnashing truculence, because how dare the Augusta brass entrust a new carveout to a digital interloper? — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026 Rogan began the show in his customary posture of sleepy truculence. — Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 Those who remember the truculence of those rough-and-tumble Ducks know how much of a sacrifice that was. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 June 2025 Frederic could be a fallback third-line centre option if the Leafs can’t get someone better (like Coyle), or support otherwise — truculence and scoring — on the wing. — Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for truculence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for truculence
  1. aggression
  2. cruelty
  3. aggressiveness
  4. brutality
  5. hostility
  6. defiance
Noun
  • What if Penelope’s waiting is her own form of aggression, a way of holding a space, for as long as possible, that excludes the men and their own attempts at power?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
  • When scientists temporarily disabled mole-rats’ olfactory sensory neurons with chemicals, the aggression towards strangers disappeared.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • The man turned himself in and was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering, and misdemeanor cruelty to animals, according to court documents.
    — Mark Price July 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026
  • In cases of cruelty and mistreatment, they can be considered victims and not things, which radically changes the way the future of animals is defined.
    — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • The coach hopes that expanded duties for Webb, a 2017 third-round pick who made one career NFL start, translate into growth for the Broncos’ offense and improvement for Nix in key areas, including accuracy, touch and aggressiveness.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Cannon breaks down the accountability, aggressiveness and the perspective needed to play effective defense after the team’s reset week.
    — John W. Davis, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • Mishiali’s filmmaking does not overemphasize the brutality of this situation.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • Not a particularly easy watch, to say the least, the complexly plotted film leans into the madness, and intense brutality experienced by the characters.
    — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • Examining the harder chapters of our history is not the same as hostility toward America.
    — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 21 July 2026
  • The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on June 14 to halt hostilities, prompting gas to fall back below $4 a few days later.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • The protests mark a rare show of defiance against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026
  • But that successful act of cheating is central to Maradona’s legend, as is his defiance in the aftermath.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
Definition of defiance

Browse Nearby Words

trucks
truculence
truculency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Truculence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truculence. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stalwart

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All