pugnacious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pugnacious
First recorded in 1635–45; pugnaci(ty) (from Latin pugnācitās “combativeness,” equivalent to pugnāci-, stem of pugnāx combative (akin to pugil; see pugilism) + -tās -ty 2 ) + -ous
Explanation
Pugnacious means ready for a fight. If you're pugnacious, you might find it hard to make friends. On the other hand, you might be a very successful professional boxer one day. Your brother is a pugnacious thug — always ready to use his fists to settle arguments, and he has the strength to do so. That’s the literal sense of pugnacious. You can use pugnacious figuratively, too. When two candidates face off in a debate during a close election, one or the other might be pugnacious. He looks to pick a fight with his opponent and is willing to say almost anything, no matter how outrageous, to make his opponent look bad.
Vocabulary lists containing pugnacious
Of Mice and Men
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Charli's new songs find her grappling with whether she can stay true to her pugnacious, subversive roots while enjoying commercial success and personal happiness.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ann Widdecombe was pugnacious, charismatic, barbed and yes, had a sense of silliness too.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s pugnacious parliament speaker, continued his now-daily trolling of the Trump administration, posting a picture depicting the smoking wreckage of what appeared to be two planes and two helicopters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
In addition, Mr. Denton’s delivery ranges from pugnacious to hostile and in contrast to all the suave vampires around him, Guy is a consistently unpleasant human.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
Huxley was the most vocal and pugnacious of them all, and earned the nickname of Darwins bulldog.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
