combative
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does combative mean? Combative means inclined to fight or prone to being argumentative. It’s especially used to describe someone who has become defensive and is disputing things in a belligerent way. It’s not commonly applied to someone who’s prone to starting physical fights. It can also be used to describe situations in which someone or multiple people are acting this way, such as a combative press conference or a combative meeting. The word combatant is commonly used as a noun meaning one of the sides engaged in a fight, but it can also be used as an adjective meaning the same thing as combative. Example: The senator became combative when faced with some tough questions during the town hall meeting.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of combative
Explanation
Someone combative likes to fight, whether with fists or words. See the word combat in combative? That's a clue to this word's meaning. Since combat is a type of fighting — usually in war — anyone described as combative likes to fight or just can't help getting in fights. A frequent barroom brawler is combative, but so is someone who is always starting arguments. Using swear words and constantly contradicting people could be considered combative behavior. People who are combative are also often described as hostile, angry, or pugnacious.
Vocabulary lists containing combative
All My Sons
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dragon Hoops
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Hurricane Child
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
While he was running to be elected prime minister, Carney vowed to solve it with an "elbows up" approach - referencing a combative style of hockey coined by the late Gordie Howe himself.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
US President Donald Trump marked the occasion with a social media post and a combative tone.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
You’ll just end up annoying your manager or cultivating a combative relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
“This Department speaks plainly and directly when we identify violations of federal law. Being clear about violations of federal civil rights law isn’t political or combative — it’s transparent,” Dhillon said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
The result was a quite new type of intellectual culture: innovative, combative, competitive, but at the same time obsessed with accuracy.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
