hawkish

adjective

hawk·​ish ˈhȯ-kish 

1

: resembling or suggesting a hawk or the beak of a hawk in appearance

a hawkish nose

He has a thatch of black curly hair and hawkish features.

—Jeff Shear

2

: having a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocating immediate vigorous action

especially : supporting war or warlike policies

a hawkish politician

He was a frequent and persistently hawkish participant in the war councils of the Administration.

—Vincent Blasi

While definitions vary, "neoconservative" generally refers to formerly moderate policy advocates who favor a hawkish and assertive foreign policy to implant democracy and American values abroad.

—Paul Richter

hawkishly adverb

Land is expensive, scarce, and watched hawkishly by environmentalists.

—Boston Magazine

hawkishness noun

… his Western anti-government philosophy and cold-war hawkishness…

—Jon Meacham

Examples of hawkish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Das had been widely considered the most hawkish member of the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee, and his departure could influence the board’s overall stance, said Shilan Shah, deputy chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics in a note on Monday. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 12 Dec. 2024

On the other hand, Trump and his team are also known for their extremely hawkish views on Iran, a close ally of Assad. —Joshua Keating, Vox, 5 Dec. 2024

Republicans, who won control of both chambers of Congress last month, especially those with a more hawkish view of foreign policy, may be weary of Gabbard given her history of remarks that have been considered sympathetic to Russia amid its war with Ukraine. —Juliann Ventura, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024

She is expected to face a confirmation battle in the Senate, but some hawkish Republicans in the chamber have expressed tepid support for her nomination. —Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1