belligerent
Other forms: belligerents
If someone is belligerent, they're eager to fight. It's a good idea to avoid hardcore hockey fans after their team loses — they tend to be belligerent.
Belligerent comes from the Latin word bellum, for "war." You can use it to talk about actual wars — the nations taking part in a war are called belligerents — but usually belligerent describes a psychological disposition. If you're running a school for aggressive boys, do plenty of arts and crafts to prevent them from becoming too belligerent. The stress is on the second syllable: bə-LIJ-ə-rənt.
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characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight
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engaged in war
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someone who fights (or is fighting)types:brawlera fighter (especially one who participates in brawls)buttera fighter who strikes the opponent with his headgladiator(ancient Rome) a professional combatant or a captive who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combatgougeran attacker who gouges out the antagonist's eyemaulera fighter who batters the opponentskirmishersomeone who skirmishes (e.g., as a member of a scouting party)street fighter, toughsomeone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxingbantamweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 119 poundsbantamweightweighs 115-126 poundsfeatherweightweighs 126-139 poundsfeatherweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 126 poundsflyweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 112 poundsflyweightweighs no more than 115 poundsjunior featherweightweighs no more than 122 poundsjunior lightweightweighs no more than 130 poundsjunior middleweightweighs no more than 154 poundsjunior welterweightweighs no more than 140 poundslight flyweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 106 poundslight heavyweighta wrestler who weighs 192-214 poundslight heavyweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 179 poundslight middleweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 156 poundslightweighta wrestler who weighs 139-154 poundslightweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 132 poundslight welterweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 140 poundsmiddleweighta wrestler who weighs 172-192 poundsmiddleweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 165 poundspunchersomeone who delivers punchessparring mate, sparring partnera boxer who spars with another boxer who is training for an important fightsumo wrestlera wrestler who participates in sumo (a Japanese form of wrestling)super heavyweightan amateur boxer who weighs more than 201 poundswelterweighta wrestler who weighs 154-172 poundswelterweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 148 pounds
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Vocabulary lists containing belligerent
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
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