hawkish
Americanadjective
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resembling a hawk, as in appearance or behavior.
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advocating war or a belligerently threatening diplomatic policy.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hawkish
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Explanation
Someone who's hawkish is in favor of going to war with other countries. The president's hawkish advisors will frequently recommend military solutions to conflicts. In politics, the adjective hawkish is useful for describing people, groups, or political parties that consistently prefer the war option for reacting to problems around the world. A hawkish politician, also called a hawk or war hawk, might vote in favor of continuing a military operation instead of ending it, for example. This word dates from the 1960s.
Vocabulary lists containing hawkish
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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.
The yellow metal is likely weighed down by a hawkish repricing in the dollar after the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting, say Maybank analysts in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
To be sure, Fed chair Kevin Warsh struck a hawkish tone at his first press conference, and he didn’t discuss any potential inflation decline in the coming months.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
He favors discretionary goods, transports and regional banks, amid falling oil prices and the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will be less hawkish than the market currently thinks.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 29, 2026
The U.S. dollar climbed to a more than one-year high, fueled by Federal Reserve interest rate hike expectations after Chairman Kevin Warsh’s hawkish tone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Blond hair and brown eyes, a hawkish nose.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
