Synonym Chooser

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

Examples of pugnacious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Or look at Florida’s 1st district, which features Matt Gaetz, the pugnacious right-wing representative and member of the Freedom Caucus. Andrew Tisch, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 Jones won a Tony for his performance as the pugnacious, irrepressible boxer Jack Johnson (play name Jack Jefferson), and the play won a Pulitzer Prize. Ew Staff, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024 Female leaders, on the other hand—including British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel—have had trouble connecting with a president who has made a cult out of his own pugnacious but unmartial masculinity. Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018 For those buyers who crave exactly that kind of pugnacious driving dynamic, more radical performance or bolder design, the Temerario launched also with a new Alleggerita package featuring additional carbon fiber to cut weight, more aero components, and even optional carbon-fiber wheels. Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pugnacious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pugnacious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Pugnacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacious. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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