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

But Linda is the belligerent role model for everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Colombo would follow the Hague Convention, the official added, noting it says that "a neutral power which receives on its territory troops belonging to the belligerent armies shall intern them".

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 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

At the wedding reception, held at the Los Coyotes Country Club, Danny showed up belligerent, but a handful of men were at the door, waiting for him, and turned him away.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

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