Dictionary.com

pugnacious

[ puhg-ney-shuhs ]
/ pʌgˈneɪ ʃəs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: pugnacious / pugnaciousness / pugnacity on Thesaurus.com
adjective
inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
affect
effect
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Meet Grammar CoachWrite or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar helpImprove Your Writing
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Origin of pugnacious

First recorded in 1635–45; pugnaci(ty) (from Latin pugnācitās “combativeness,” equivalent to pugnāci-, stem of pugnāx combative (akin to pugil; see pugilism) + -tās -ty2) + -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM pugnacious

pug·na·cious·ly, adverbpug·nac·i·ty [puhg-nas-i-tee], /pʌgˈnæs ɪ ti/, pug·na·cious·ness, nounun·pug·na·cious, adjectiveun·pug·na·cious·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to pugnacious

aggressive, antagonistic, argumentative, bellicose, brawling, cantankerous, chip on shoulder, choleric, combative, contentious, defiant, disputatious, have a bone to pick, hot-tempered, irascible, irritable, militant, petulant, pushing, pushy

How to use pugnacious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pugnacious

pugnacious
/ (pʌɡˈneɪʃəs) /
adjective
readily disposed to fight; belligerent

Derived forms of pugnacious

pugnaciously, adverbpugnacity (pʌɡˈnæsɪtɪ) or pugnaciousness, noun

Word Origin for pugnacious

C17: from Latin pugnāx
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK