Synonyms of belligerence

belligerence

noun

bə-ˈlij-rən(t)s 

as in aggression

an inclination to fight or quarrel

the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aggression
• aggressiveness
• hostility
• defiance
• bellicosity
• belligerency
• pugnacity
• combativeness
• fight
• militancy
• truculence
• militance
• contentiousness
• feistiness
• assaultiveness
• scrappiness
• quarrelsomeness
• disputatiousness
• irritability
• antagonism
• fierceness
• unfriendliness
• chip on one's shoulder
• jingoism
• militarism
• imperialism
• militantness
• petulance
• rudeness
• surliness
• peevishness
• testiness
• irascibility
• irritableness
• grumpiness
• crankiness
• orneriness
• fractiousness
• querulousness
• crossness
• disagreeableness
• grouchiness
• fretfulness
• hyperaggressiveness
• biliousness
• huffiness
• acidity
• pettishness
• captiousness
• waspishness
• irascibleness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pacifism
• nonaggression
• friendliness
• benevolence
• cordiality
• sociability
• gentleness
• geniality
• affability
• amiability
• graciousness
• pleasantness
• antimilitarism
• mildness
• kindliness
• complaisance
• anti-imperialism
• amicability
• antiaggression
• amenability
• placability

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of belligerence

What To Know There have been tensions over NATO accusing Russia of sabotaging vessels in the Baltic Sea and claims of hybrid warfare around what is dubbed the NATO Lake as the alliance's members move to combat Moscow's belligerence in the region. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

Beijing’s belligerence should help the Pentagon keep stitching together tighter security relationships—and perhaps establish more military basing opportunities—in the Indo-Pacific. —Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

The national community could be knit together without indulging the chauvinism of belligerence. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025

But the long-term consequences of his economic belligerence have been largely negative for all involved. —Jonathan Berkshire Miller, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025