pugnacious

Definition

Naturally aggressive or hostile; combative; belligerent; bellicose.

Etymology

From the stem of Latin pugnāx + -ous, from pugnō (“I fight”), from pugnus (“fist”).

Example Sentences

• "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."
• "As he made the demand he spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth and shoved his pugnacious face close to Oofty-Oofty."
• "In the face of bad news Churchill normally became even more pugnacious, always wanting to respond to defeat by going on the attack."

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