PUGNACIOUS Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of pugnacious are bellicose , belligerent , contentious , and quarrelsome . While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat. // a pugnacious gangster

Q: In what contexts can 'bellicose' take the place of 'pugnacious'?

The synonyms bellicose and pugnacious are sometimes interchangeable, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight. // a drunk in a bellicose mood

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

While the synonyms belligerent and pugnacious are close in meaning, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities. // belligerent nations

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

Although the words contentious and pugnacious have much in common, contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling. // wearied by his contentious disposition

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

The meanings of quarrelsome and pugnacious largely overlap; however, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause. // the heat made us all quarrelsome

pugnacious

adjective

ˌpəg-ˈnā-shəs

Definition of pugnacious next

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight a movie reviewer who is spirited, even pugnacious, when defending her opinions

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How is the word pugnacious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of pugnacious are bellicose, belligerent, contentious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

In what contexts can bellicose take the place of pugnacious?

The synonyms bellicose and pugnacious are sometimes interchangeable, but bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

When would belligerent be a good substitute for pugnacious?

While the synonyms belligerent and pugnacious are close in meaning, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

Where would contentious be a reasonable alternative to pugnacious?

Although the words contentious and pugnacious have much in common, contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When is it sensible to use quarrelsome instead of pugnacious?

The meanings of quarrelsome and pugnacious largely overlap; however, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pugnacious Even the pugnacious Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president from 2005 to 2012, sought to negotiate with the United States to resolve the nuclear impasse. —

Mohsen Milani, Foreign Affairs, 15 July 2015 Rumor is the pugnacious Irish actor Jack O’Connell plays the villain. —

Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025 Two of the league’s best pure scorers and most pugnacious alpha dogs go at it Wednesday, with each trying more than 10 3-pointers a game this season. —

Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024 But his presence has hollowed out the party, with its gap between a pugnacious grassroots and a lonely elite. —

Selim Koru, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2016 See all Example Sentences for pugnacious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugnacious

Adjective

Instead, her life was turned upside down last week after President Donald Trump’s administration began instituting mass layoffs as part of an aggressive effort to trim the federal workforce.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
Beef, coffee and orange juice are among groceries with higher prices, but eggs are uniquely affected by the aggressive strain of avian flu, which has strained supply.

— Dakin Andone, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025