hawkish

American  

[haw-kish] / ˈhɔ kɪʃ /

adjective

1. resembling a hawk, as in appearance or behavior.

2. advocating war or a belligerently threatening diplomatic policy.

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ˈhawkish British  

/ ˈhɔːkɪʃ /

adjective

1. favouring the use or display of force rather than diplomacy to achieve foreign policy goals

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Other Word Forms

• hawkishly adverb
• hawkishness noun

Etymology

Origin of hawkish

First recorded in 1835–45; hawk ¹ + -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does hawkish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dovish vs. hawkish

Example Sentences

Mr. Powell’s solution to this dilemma was a “hawkish rate cut,” in which the Fed reduces rates while cautioning markets not to expect many future cuts.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Latin American giant had objective reasons to rebound in 2025: An unyieldingly hawkish central bank wrestled inflation back below 5% annually.

From Barron's

Warsh had a relatively "hawkish" reputation as Fed governor, meaning that he tended to favour higher interest rates and focused on concerns about inflation.

From BBC

“Today’s data flow was a wash. Every data point, whether hawkish or dovish, had a caveat,” writes Bank of America’s economics team.

From Barron's

Treasury yields ended slightly higher, and the 10-year yield rose on the week despite a Fed meeting Wednesday that was not quite as hawkish as some investors expected.

From The Wall Street Journal

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