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.

---

ˈhawkish British  

/ ˈhɔːkɪʃ /

adjective

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

---

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

As interest rates and the price of gold tend to move in opposite directions, investors got spooked about Warsh’s potentially hawkish approach to monetary policy.

From Barron's

As interest rates and the price of gold tend to move in opposite directions, investors got spooked about Warsh’s potentially hawkish approach to monetary policy.

From Barron's

A former commercial bank executive, Tamura is considered one of the most hawkish members on the central bank’s policy board.

From The Wall Street Journal

While individual governors can afford to sound hawkish, the chair remains accountable for the Fed’s dual mandate of supporting employment and controlling inflation.

From MarketWatch

Warsh, they said, is seen as more hawkish on interest rates as a tool to tame inflation, and more supportive of a stronger U.S. dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bitter
• bleak
• brisk
• chilled
• cool
• crisp
• frigid
• frosty
• frozen
• icy
• intense
• raw
• snowy
• wintry