combative

adjective

com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈba-tiv 

: marked by eagerness to fight or contend

combatively adverb

combativeness noun

Synonyms

• aggressive
• agonistic
• argumentative
• assaultive
• bellicose
• belligerent
• brawly
• chippy
• confrontational
• contentious
• discordant
• disputatious
• feisty
• gladiatorial
• militant
• pugnacious
• quarrelsome
• scrappy
• truculent
• warlike

Examples of combative in a Sentence

When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.

channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports

Recent Examples on the Web

Saturday Night Live took aim this week at President Donald Trump‘s combative meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — with an assist from an all-time SNL great. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 1 Mar. 2025

This sharp critique from Salesforce’s chief executive sets a combative tone, reinforcing why Salesforce sought a potent ally in Google to bolster its AI credentials. —Janakiram Msv, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Criticizing another nominee’s tactics is an inadvisable step for someone on the Oscar track; the act can come off as combative, and the Academy can penalize attacks against fellow contenders. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2025

But having the Americans face the Canadians again, after such a combative meeting between the two teams during round-robin play last Saturday, and with several days of buildup, was perhaps needed to cap off the event. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

combative

adjective

com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈbat-iv 

: eager to fight : pugnacious

combativeness noun