TRUCULENCE Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

truculence

noun

ˈtrə-kyə-lən(t)s

Definition of truculence

as in aggression

an inclination to fight or quarrel a congenital truculence that resulted in his spending a significant amount of time in the principal's office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cruelty

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others the sergeant's truculence was revealed when she made the recruits run even further in the heat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 truculence Last fall’s announcement that Amazon’s Prime Video platform would be teeing up four hours of exclusive coverage of the Masters was met with a predictable show of teeth-gnashing truculence, because how dare the Augusta brass entrust a new carveout to a digital interloper? — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026 Rogan began the show in his customary posture of sleepy truculence. — Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 Those who remember the truculence of those rough-and-tumble Ducks know how much of a sacrifice that was. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 6 June 2025 Frederic could be a fallback third-line centre option if the Leafs can’t get someone better (like Coyle), or support otherwise — truculence and scoring — on the wing. — Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for truculence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for truculence

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

Luhansk, this terra incognita of the independent Ukraine, is described in almost carnivalesque terms, but this is a carnival infused with absurdity and even cruelty.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Artistaya Arriyawongsa directed and co-wrote the film, which uses the supernatural to probe online cruelty and the public shaming it fuels.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruelty

Noun

Notable releases include a novel about police brutality, the return of Barbara Kingsolver, 1980s fiction and a deep dive into the very real specter of artificial intelligence.

— Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 8 Oct. 2026
The government suspended the use of stun grenades after a 15-year-old boy's hand was blown off earlier in the week, fueling accusations of police brutality.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutality

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

Noun

Taking the Long Way, more than anger or defiance, zeroes in on the sting of being ousted from your own home.

— Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026
The other half is captured in DuVernay’s fascinating portrait of the Lost Cause — the culture of defiance and regret and literal whitewashing that came to represent the Southern consciousness of what life had been before the Civil War.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of defiance

Browse Nearby Words

trucks

truculence

truculency

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Truculence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/truculence. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of truculence

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes