hawkish
Americanadjective
-
resembling a hawk, as in appearance or behavior.
-
advocating war or a belligerently threatening diplomatic policy.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- hawkishly adverb
- hawkishness noun
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.
Sunak’s essay pairs hawkish foreign policy analysis with patriotic nostalgia for how the Royal Navy used to maintain Britain’s position as a “global hegemon.”
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
Goldman’s economists also think that the market’s expectations of a Fed policy response to growing inflationary pressures is too hawkish.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Sticky inflation could push the Fed to take a more hawkish approach, and higher interest rates aren’t good for tech stocks.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
“Yen gains are likely to be capped despite the BOJ’s hawkish stance if other central banks outpace the BOJ’s rate hikes or retreat from previously expected rate cuts,” amid rising oil prices, Maruyama says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
He saw Hull’s eyes, hawkish and focused, sweep over the classroom, and it sent a shiver down his spine.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
