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

The goal of this story is to broadly look at which portfolio stocks are at most risk from Trump’s hawkish trade policies, which names might be able to manage, and which may even benefit. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025

One of his top officials, Under-Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, is known for hawkish views on China. —Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

The Senate still has a number of Republicans with more hawkish views on national security issues, and Gabbard’s nomination could test their willingness to go along with Trump. —Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025

Iranian officials have begun hinting at potential changes in Iran’s nuclear posture, which formally eschews nuclear weapons development, with some hawkish figures openly calling for nuclear acquisition. —Nicole Grajewski, Foreign Affairs, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1