adjective

belligerent

/bəˈlɪdʒərənt/ · say it: buh·LIJ·uh·ruhnt

hostile and aggressive

In Personality & Character

In more detail

1. (adjective) eager or ready to fight; aggressive and hostile

2. (noun) a country or group engaged in a war or conflict

Examples

1. His belligerent tone made it clear he wanted to start an argument.
2. The two belligerents finally agreed to a peace treaty.

How to use belligerent

As an adjective, belligerent describes a combative or hostile demeanor, either in individuals or nations; it carries stronger implication of active aggression than merely 'angry' or 'disagreeable'. As a noun, it refers specifically to states or groups formally at war. The term is common in diplomatic, political, and historical contexts.

Common phrases

belligerent tone
belligerent attitude
belligerent nation
belligerent party
belligerent powers

Synonyms

aggressive · combative · hostile · warlike · pugnacious

Opposites

peaceful · conciliatory · friendly

Word family

belligerence (noun) · belligerently (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse belligerent with 'intelligent' or 'diligent' due to phonetic similarity, and may overuse it to describe simple disagreement rather than genuine hostility or readiness for conflict.

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