truculent
Eager for conflict
Truculent describes an aggressively defiant or combative attitude—someone spoiling for a fight or radiating hostility.
A truculent teenager bristles at every request.
A truculent response meets a simple question with unnecessary belligerence.
The word suggests not just anger but a readiness to be difficult: He grew truculent when questioned about the missing funds.
Hostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- bellicoseInclined toward aggression
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
- confrontationalInclined toward hostile encounters
quarrelsome · contentious · militant · warlike · fierce · scrappy · feisty · disputatious
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
- sullenSilently bad-tempered
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- orneryIll-tempered and stubborn
ill-tempered · gruff · crabby · testy · irascible · choleric · curmudgeonly · sour
Conveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- overbearingArrogantly dominating in manner
- domineeringAggressively asserting control
blustering · swaggering · browbeating · strong-arm · coercive · fearsome · formidable · daunting
Resisting authority or control
- insubordinateDefying rightful authority
- recalcitrantStubbornly resistant to control
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
- unyieldingRefusing to give way
stubborn · intransigent · uncooperative · contrary · disobedient · noncompliant · willful · contumacious
belligerent
Hostile and eager to clash
- combativeInclined toward conflict
- bellicoseInclined toward aggression
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
confrontational · quarrelsome · contentious · militant · warlike · fierce · scrappy · feisty · disputatious · argumentative
surly
Bad-tempered and unfriendly
- sullenSilently bad-tempered
- churlishIll-mannered and rude
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
ornery · ill-tempered · gruff · crabby · testy · irascible · choleric · curmudgeonly · sour · disagreeable
menacing
Conveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- bullyingAggressive repeated intimidation
- overbearingArrogantly dominating in manner
domineering · blustering · swaggering · browbeating · strong-arm · coercive · fearsome · formidable · daunting · imposing
rebellious
Resisting authority or control
- insubordinateDefying rightful authority
- recalcitrantStubbornly resistant to control
- obstinateFirmly refusing to yield
unyielding · stubborn · intransigent · uncooperative · contrary · disobedient · noncompliant · willful · contumacious · unbending
- hostile attitudeshostile, aggressive, combative, belligerent, adversarial
- fancy wordsgrandiloquent, magniloquent, sesquipedalian, pulchritudinous, tintinnabulation
- misbehaviormisbehave, misbehavior, mischief, misconduct, naughty
- personalitiesintrovert, optimist, extrovert, pessimist, idealist
truculentpeaceful
Free from disturbance
peaceable · cooperative · docile · nonaggressive · pacific