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

The United States must therefore carefully balance the need to de-risk against the need to deter aggression.

— GLORIA XIONG, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Game fowl are bred for aggression by definition, said Jenny Berg, California state director of the Humane World for Animals, which worked with Rogers on the bill.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

This could bring up feelings of resentment, competitiveness or passive aggressiveness, especially if there’s been something simmering in the background.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
The Angels swung early and often, and Cameron utilized their aggressiveness to his advantage.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggressiveness

Noun

The Soviet Union took them from Japan in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were already at loggerheads over Syria, with Saudi Arabia backing the post-Assad regime and the UAE sharing Israel’s hostility to it, and Yemen, where Saudi Arabia had just driven out Emirati proxies.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of hostility

Browse Nearby Words

pugnaciousness

pugnacity

pugnose

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“Pugnacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pugnacity. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of pugnacity

noun

Example Sentences

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