PUGNACITY Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

pugnacity

noun

Definition of pugnacity

as in aggression

an inclination to fight or quarrel the players need to temper their pugnacity with a little self-restraint—their aggressive style of play too often results in penalties

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pugnacity But all of that is in addition to his defense, his rebounding, his slashing, his voice, his pugnacity. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 22 May 2026 Trump had won by fifty-three points there in 2016, and Greene’s paranoid pugnacity seemed like a good fit, if voters could stomach an outsider. — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026 That does not mean his pugnacity has dimmed. — Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pugnacity

Noun

On the contrary, airpower remains the most potent piece of the United States’ conventional forces, as well as its main source of both deterrent capacity and warfighting advantage against conventional aggression by hostile states.

— Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Publicly sharing Hasan’s death is unlikely to deter future acts of monstrous aggression, as Hegseth claims.

— Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

When a quarrel over an inheritance revives old hostilities, their relationship comes under pressure from greed and treachery in a conflict not of their making.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Grynkewich's remarks had followed a tense weekend between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow launching fresh strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite diplomatic efforts to reduce hostilities.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hostility

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pugnaciousness

pugnacity

pugnose

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“Pugnacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacity. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pugnacity

noun

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