Pugnacious

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪʃəs

Origin

Latin, a form of pugnō ("I fight"), from pugnus ("fist"), from Proto-Indo-European roots.

Full definition of pugnacious

Adjective

1. Naturally aggressive or hostile; combative; belligerent.
• 1858, Anthony Trollope, Dr Thorne, ch. 3:Not that the doctor was a bully, or even pugnacious, in the usual sense of the word; he had no disposition to provoke a fight, no propense love of quarrelling.
• 1904, Jack London, The Sea Wolf, ch. 15:As he made the demand he spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth and shoved his pugnacious face close to Oofty-Oofty.
• 2003, Ken Follett, Hornet Flight, ISBN 9780451210746, pp. 249-250:In the face of bad news Churchill normally became even more pugnacious, always wanting to respond to defeat by going on the attack.

Synonyms

Related terms

• impugn
• poniard
• pugilism
• pugnacity
• repugn (repugnant)