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belligerent [ buh -lij -er-uh nt ] SHOW IPA
/ bəˈlɪdʒ ər ənt / PHONETIC RESPELLING
📙 Middle School LevelThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
warlike; given to waging war.
of warlike character; aggressively hostile; bellicose: a belligerent tone.
waging war; engaged in war: a peace treaty between belligerent powers.
pertaining to war or to those engaged in war: belligerent rights.
noun
a state or nation at war.
a member of the military forces of such a state.
OTHER WORDS FOR belligerent
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Origin of belligerent 1570–80; <Latin
belliger waging war (
belli-, combining form of
bellum war +
ger-, base of
gerere to conduct) +
-ent ; replacing
belligerant <Latin
belligerant- (stem of
belligerāns, present participle of
belligerāre to wage war; see
-ant )
OTHER WORDS FROM belligerent bel·lig·er·ent·ly, adverb in·ter·bel·lig·er·ent, adjective un·bel·lig·er·ent, adjective un·bel·lig·er·ent·ly, adverb
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH belligerent belligerence , belligerents Words nearby belligerent bellicose ,
bellied ,
belligerati ,
belligerence ,
belligerency ,
belligerent ,
belling ,
Bellingham ,
Bellingshausen ,
Bellingshausen Sea ,
Bellini
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to belligerent aggressive ,
antagonistic ,
bellicose ,
combative ,
contentious ,
hostile ,
ornery ,
quarrelsome ,
fighting ,
flip ,
mean ,
militant ,
ardent ,
at loggerheads ,
battling ,
cantankerous ,
fierce ,
have a bone to pick ,
have it in for ,
hot
How to use belligerent in a sentence They can get belligerent , upset that “the government” has their personal information or shattered at the thought that a partner is likely cheating on them.
Some contacts also noted a rising number of belligerent customers.
Many of us were more likely to scroll through NextDoor than to actually go next door, viewing our neighbors through belligerent lens of an algorithm.
One officer explained that he had to free a man who had broken a window because the belligerent protesters outnumbered police on the scene.
The coronavirus has turned the NFL into a joke, and nobody should be laughingAnother thing about zombies is they tend to be super belligerent , yet they howl with outrage at any act that might impede them, and they are highly evasive.
She was belligerent to the police and had a very high blood alcohol reading.
He got more and more belligerent about the war, more and more defensive of Bush.
Either Moscow was implacably belligerent or shared the same rational interests as the United States.
IDF's Military Advocate General: legality of training is anchored in principles of 'belligerent occupation.'
The turning point was probably his angry, belligerent , aggressive and paranoid rant to the nation on June 26.
Bud scowled and turned toward him a belligerent glance, and the man stopped laughing as suddenly as he had begun.
Even more belligerent than the words was the tone and the facial expression of the speaker.
He had been a clergyman during a considerable portion of his life, and he was not at all belligerent in his nature.
The suns and winds of many seas had burned and scored his face, and a stubby mustache gave him a belligerent aspect.
From early times all belligerent nations subjected to capture the goods of an enemy in neutral ships.
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British Dictionary definitions for belligerent
adjective
marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive a belligerent tone
relating to or engaged in a legally recognized war or warfare
noun
a person or country engaged in fighting or war
Word Origin for belligerent C16: from Latin belliger , from bellum war + gerere to wage
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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