Synonyms of truculent

truculent

adjective

ˈtrə-kyə-lənt 

1

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight

die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team's loss

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aggressive
• militant
• hostile
• irritable
• contentious
• belligerent
• pugnacious
• assaultive
• bellicose
• ugly
• combative
• confrontational
• warlike
• feisty
• quarrelsome
• acidic
• fierce
• argumentative
• savage
• disputatious
• agonistic
• scrappy
• vicious
• chippy
• rude
• gladiatorial
• discordant
• antagonistic
• brawly
• petulant
• irascible
• on the warpath
• querulous
• peevish
• ornery
• surly
• fretful
• disagreeable
• snappish
• cross
• fractious
• bilious
• dyspeptic
• grumpy
• waspish
• testy
• grouchy
• choleric
• warring
• fighting
• hot-tempered
• bristly
• pettish
• stroppy
• crabby
• ill-tempered
• huffy
• cranky
• ill-humored
• ill-natured
• prickly
• touchy
• battling
• bearish
• snappy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peaceable
• peaceful
• nonaggressive
• pacific
• amiable
• pleasant
• unwarlike
• friendly
• benevolent
• conciliatory
• affable
• good-natured
• cordial
• gracious
• genial
• complaisant
• uncontentious
• nonbelligerent
• easygoing
• amicable
• ingratiating
• sociable
• obliging
• kindhearted
• calm
• quiet
• uncombative
• unbelligerent
• mild
• serene
• benign
• gentle
• tranquil
• antimilitarist
• good-tempered
• relaxed
• anti-imperialist
• kindly

2

as in abusive

marked by harsh insulting language

a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews

Synonyms & Similar Words

• abusive
• insulting
• outrageous
• vituperative
• obscene
• vitriolic
• scurrilous
• malicious
• offensive
• opprobrious
• invective
• outraging
• contumelious
• nasty
• dirty
• hateful
• filthy
• vituperatory
• vulgar
• contemptuous
• scornful
• scurrile
• disdainful
• indecent
• offending
• crude
• spiteful
• coarse
• foulmouthed
• gross
• malevolent
• libelous
• slanderous
• scandalous
• affronting
• foul
• potty-mouthed
• intemperate
• defamatory
• unbridled
• immoderate
• unrestrained
• traducing
• vilifying
• maligning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• moderate
• temperate
• deferential
• respectful
• civil
• polite
• courteous
• gracious
• judicious
• tempered
• discreet
• mannerly
• laudatory
• praiseful
• encomiastic
• laudative

3

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others

played the role of a disturbed and truculent villain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brutal
• cruel
• vicious
• savage
• ruthless
• murderous
• ferocious
• sadistic
• barbarous
• merciless
• brute
• heartless
• barbaric
• fiendish
• inhuman
• oppressive
• inhumane
• atrocious
• harsh
• hateful
• malicious
• pitiless
• wanton
• butcherly
• grim
• red in tooth and claw
• bloodthirsty
• unfeeling
• spiteful
• vindictive
• malevolent
• malignant
• hard-hearted
• sanguinary
• fell
• cutthroat
• sanguine
• malign
• draconian
• ironhearted
• nasty
• catty
• despiteful
• mean
• stonyhearted
• heavy-handed
• draconic
• hardhanded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathetic
• benign
• kind
• compassionate
• humane
• warm
• kindhearted
• benignant
• good-hearted
• tender
• tenderhearted
• charitable
• lenient
• merciful
• pitying
• warmhearted
• peaceable
• peaceful
• pacific
• clement

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of truculent

The robot interpreted the command using an LLM and walked over to a corner of the office in a manner not unlike a truculent 9-year-old. — Will Knight, Wired News, 27 Jan. 2026

Even if the administration has no further military designs on the Western Hemisphere, a virtual sword of Damocles hangs over the head of truculent governments. — Richard Fontaine, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026

France is in the midst of its worst political crisis in decades as a succession of minority governments seek to push deficit-reducing budgets through a truculent legislature split into three distinct ideological blocs. — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025

France has been mired in crisis as a series of minority governments struggle to pass deficit-reduction measures through a truculent parliament, split between three ideological blocs. — CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025

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