belligerent
Angry and eager to fight or argue.
belligerent in a sentence
- The belligerent goose hissed and flapped at anyone who came near the pond.
- In a belligerent mood, the toddler was ready to argue about bath time, bedtime and broccoli.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to belligerent?
- Afriendly
- Bgentle
- Caggressive
- Dpeaceful
Show the answer
C: aggressive. The other three mean the opposite of belligerent.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to belligerent?
- Aquarrelsome
- Bpeaceful
- Caggressive
- Dangry
Show the answer
B: peaceful. The other three mean nearly the same as belligerent.
Words that mean something similar
aggressive, quarrelsome, angry
Words that mean the opposite
peaceful, friendly, gentle
Careful: belligerent is not hostile
Hostile means unfriendly and ready to fight. Belligerent means eager to fight, and going looking for it. Read why children mix them up.
More words about character & personality
- benevolent: Kind and wanting to do good things for other people.
- biased: Unfairly favouring one side over another.
- bravado: A bold show of courage to hide how scared you really are.
- bystander: A person who watches something happen but does not take part.
- callous: Cruel and not caring about other people's feelings.
- candid: Honest and truthful, saying exactly what you really think.
- candidate: Someone who is trying to be chosen for a job, a prize or a place.
- capable: Able to do something well.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test