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 Biltmore ballroom was given a military makeover, with Allied flags replacing bouquets, and the evening began with a hawkish address from the politician Wendell Willkie. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025

The move contradicts hawkish comments about China by Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. —Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025

Tariffs continue to be one of the big uncertainties, but the 10-year Treasury yield dipped on trade policy that appears less hawkish than expected. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2025

One of the more intriguing elements is his apparent distaste for American military interventionism — a break with the hawkish neoconservatism seen during the Bush administration, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1