belligerent
Americanadjective
-
warlike; given to waging war.
-
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose.
a belligerent tone.
- Synonyms:
- contentious, antagonistic, quarrelsome, combative, truculent, pugnacious
-
waging war; engaged in war.
a peace treaty between belligerent powers.
-
pertaining to war or to those engaged in war.
belligerent rights.
noun
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a state or nation at war.
-
a member of the military forces of such a state.
adjective
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marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive
a belligerent tone
-
relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of belligerent
First recorded in 1570–80; earlier belligerant, from Latin belligerant-, stem of belligerāns “waging war,” present participle of belligerāre “to wage war,” verb derivative of belliger “warlike,” from belli- (combining form of bellum, earlier duellum “war”; cf. duel ( def. )) + ger(ere) “to carry, conduct, display”
Explanation
If someone is belligerent, they're eager to fight. It's a good idea to avoid hardcore hockey fans after their team loses — they tend to be belligerent. Belligerent comes from the Latin word bellum, for "war." You can use it to talk about actual wars — the nations taking part in a war are called belligerents — but usually belligerent describes a psychological disposition. If you're running a school for aggressive boys, do plenty of arts and crafts to prevent them from becoming too belligerent. The stress is on the second syllable: bə-LIJ-ə-rənt.
Vocabulary lists containing belligerent
List 3
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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A Wrinkle in Time
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
MILAN—It’s the bright, belligerent Winter Games showdown you could have hand-carved into Italian marble two weeks ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
Once the cricket finally started, Ishan Kishan's belligerent hitting delighted the Indian-heavy crowd - which, it should be said, was not at capacity.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
Pezeshkian meanwhile said the success of diplomacy depended on the "goodwill of the parties involved and the abandonment of belligerent and threatening actions in the region," his office said.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
“The original narrative was Anastasio became belligerent, they subdued him and he died,” Frey said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
The rogue commander was getting more and more belligerent, the United States more and more concerned.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
