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GRE vocabulary

belligerent

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore B words

hostile and aggressively ready to fight

Word origin: From Latin belligerare, to wage war (bellum war plus gerere to carry on).

In a sentence

Belligerent in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing belligerent in a sentence.

The belligerent customer demanded a refund and threatened to sue.

The senator's belligerent tone during the hearing alienated the very colleagues whose support his bill required.

Synonyms
hostilecombativepugnaciousantagonistic
Antonyms
amicableconciliatory
Usage & nuance

Using “belligerent” well

Belligerent describes an aggressive readiness to fight or argue, stronger than merely irritable. As a noun it can also denote a nation or party engaged in war.

Common questions

Questions about “belligerent

Belligerent (adjective) means hostile and aggressively ready to fight
Here is belligerent used in an example sentence: "The belligerent customer demanded a refund and threatened to sue." Another example: "The senator's belligerent tone during the hearing alienated the very colleagues whose support his bill required."
Common synonyms for belligerent include hostile, combative, pugnacious, antagonistic.
Antonyms of belligerent include amicable, conciliatory.
Belligerent clusters with hostile, combative, pugnacious, and antagonistic in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms amicable and conciliatory are common opposite-context answers.
Yes. Belligerent is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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