BELLIGERENT Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'belligerent' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of belligerent are bellicose , contentious , pugnacious , and quarrelsome . While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities. // belligerent nations

Q: When would 'bellicose' be a good substitute for 'belligerent'?

The words bellicose and belligerent can be used in similar contexts, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight. // a drunk in a bellicose mood

Q: Where would 'contentious' be a reasonable alternative to 'belligerent'?

The synonyms contentious and belligerent are sometimes interchangeable, but contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling. // wearied by his contentious disposition

Q: When might 'pugnacious' be a better fit than 'belligerent'?

While the synonyms pugnacious and belligerent are close in meaning, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat. // a pugnacious gangster

Q: When is it sensible to use 'quarrelsome' instead of 'belligerent'?

The words quarrelsome and belligerent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause. // the heat made us all quarrelsome

belligerent 1 of 2

adjective

bə-ˈlij-rənt

Definition of belligerent next

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

belligerent

2 of 2

noun

as in combatant

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word belligerent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of belligerent are bellicose, contentious, pugnacious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

When would bellicose be a good substitute for belligerent?

The words bellicose and belligerent can be used in similar contexts, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

Where would contentious be a reasonable alternative to belligerent?

The synonyms contentious and belligerent are sometimes interchangeable, but contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When might pugnacious be a better fit than belligerent?

While the synonyms pugnacious and belligerent are close in meaning, pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

When is it sensible to use quarrelsome instead of belligerent?

The words quarrelsome and belligerent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of belligerent

Adjective

That will be especially important because China in recent years has strengthened ties with a belligerent Algiers. —

Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 That’s an unnerving reality for the United States military, which has nearly 30,000 troops and its largest overseas base in South Korea, serving as a check against a belligerent North Korea and counterweight to an aggressive China in a strategically critical region. —

Simone McCarthy, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024 The man allegedly continued to be belligerent and loud, state police said, which alarmed area residents, some of which came out of their houses. —

Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Nov. 2024 Mike seemed perfectly willing to negotiate with that crooked Nevada senator until the man got belligerent and racist and insulted Michael’s family. —

Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for belligerent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent

Adjective

Take London, which was a clear hotspot (and will continue to be, for some time): Mandarin Oriental opened its second spot in the capital, barely minutes in a limo from its existing Knightsbridge perch, while Maybourne’s soon-to-be aggressive expansion was teed up by the arrival of the sleek Emory.

Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2025
Read: America’s infectious-disease barometer is off The USDA and the CDC have doggedly defended their response to H5N1, arguing that their interventions have been appropriately aggressive and timely.

Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025