Meaning & use
pugnacious
Last updated
Eager or ready to argue or fight; aggressively combative.
See it in a sentence
The pugnacious critic seemed to enjoy picking fights with every author he reviewed.
Despite his small size, the terrier had a pugnacious streak toward bigger dogs.
A note on using this word
Describes a personality trait or tendency, not a single act of violence.
Words with a similar meaning
combativebelligerent
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
peaceableamiable
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pugnacious”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.