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.
Ann Widdecombe was pugnacious, charismatic, barbed and yes, had a sense of silliness too.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
What the court says—and how it says it—will help define its relationship with a pugnacious president for the remainder of his time in office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Gulbadin Naib had earlier provided the backbone of Afghanistan's 182-6 with a pugnacious 63 off 35 balls.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026
“Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!,” the pugnacious “In Da Club” artist said on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2025
He turned with surprise to face a stout, pugnacious colonel with a large head and mustache and a smooth, florid skin.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
