belligerently

American  

[buh-lij-er-uhnt-lee] / bəˈlɪdʒ ər ənt li /

adverb

1. in a belligerent or hostile way; defiantly or aggressively.

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Explanation

Mean people are not cool. They go around acting belligerently, or being hostile and aggressive to others. No one likes a meanie. The word belligerently comes from the Latin belligerant meaning "waging war," which is in effect, what someone acting belligerently is doing. Think of those two l's in the word as two soldiers marching in formation and you might have some help remembering that belligerently is spelled with two l's and not one. Often this word is used to describe the way that some people start to behave when they've had too much to drink, lashing out belligerently, or being overly aggressive.

Example Sentences

But videos of the event, combined with Duncan’s behavior on the bench so far, strongly suggest that he did prepare himself—not to “stay composed,” but to belligerently insult the protesters with schoolyard taunts.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2023

When people in the audience at a presentation ask questions belligerently, Berg responds, “Do you feel better? Can I continue?”

From Scientific American • Mar. 25, 2022

Another phrase thrown around with increasing fervor in the pandemic era — demandingly, insistently, belligerently or maybe just hopefully — is “we have to live our lives!”

From New York Times • Sep. 6, 2021

While acknowledging that he was unfamiliar with the ramifications of his own policies, he belligerently insisted that he would pursue them nonetheless.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2021

He turned belligerently when he reached the door.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt