belligerent

American  

[buh-lij-er-uhnt] / bəˈlɪdʒ ər ənt /

adjective

1. warlike; given to waging war.

2. of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose.

   a belligerent tone.

   Synonyms:

   contentious, antagonistic, quarrelsome, combative, truculent, pugnacious

3. waging war; engaged in war.

   a peace treaty between belligerent powers.

4. pertaining to war or to those engaged in war.

   belligerent rights.

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noun

1. a state or nation at war.

2. a member of the military forces of such a state.

belligerent British  

/ bɪˈlɪdʒərənt /

adjective

1. marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive

   a belligerent tone

2. relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare

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noun

1. a person or country engaged in fighting or war

Other Word Forms

• belligerently adverb
• interbelligerent adjective
• unbelligerent adjective
• unbelligerently adverb

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”; 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.

Example Sentences

In 2016’s The Mandibles, she created a character whom she described as a “pure piss-take” of herself: belligerent, tactless, a maniacal exerciser–the Ur-Boomer, utterly self-absorbed and an unalloyed financial disaster for society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

The U-turn came after weeks of belligerent rhetoric and a vow to slap tariffs on eight European countries starting February 1 unless the autonomous territory was ceded to the United States.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

“The original narrative was Anastasio became belligerent, they subdued him and he died,” Frey said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

General Assembly to deliver a belligerent and lengthy speech when the escalator he and the first lady were riding stopped abruptly, forcing them to walk the rest of the way up.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2025

Booth and Herold refuse, though not in a belligerent way.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

Related Words

• aggressive
• antagonistic
• bellicose
• combative
• contentious
• hostile
• ornery
• quarrelsome