Belligerent

B2 16+

Pronunciation: /bəˈlɪdʒərənt/

Definitions of belligerent

noun a person or country engaged in war or conflict, as recognized by international law

Example Sentences

A1 The belligerent refused to stop arguing.

A2 The belligerent was asked to leave the party due to their aggressive behavior.

B1 The belligerent in the meeting kept interrupting others and causing tension.

B2 The belligerent leader declared war on the neighboring country.

C1 The belligerent nation continued to escalate the conflict despite international pressure.

C2 The belligerent dictator's actions led to widespread devastation and loss of life.

adjective hostile and aggressive

Example Sentences

A1 The belligerent dog barked loudly at the mailman.

A2 The belligerent customer refused to listen to the store clerk.

B1 The belligerent countries engaged in a heated debate at the United Nations.

B2 The belligerent attitude of the team captain caused tension among the players.

C1 The belligerent protesters clashed with the police during the demonstration.

C2 The belligerent dictator threatened neighboring countries with military action.

Examples of belligerent in a Sentence

formal The belligerent nation refused to engage in diplomatic negotiations.

informal He's always so belligerent when he's had a few drinks.

slang Don't be so belligerent, dude, I'm just trying to help.

figurative The storm clouds gathered in a belligerent manner, threatening to unleash their fury.

Grammatical Forms of belligerent

past tense

belligerent

plural

belligerents

comparative

more belligerent

superlative

most belligerent

present tense

belligerent

future tense

will be belligerent

perfect tense

has been belligerent

continuous tense

is being belligerent

singular

belligerent

positive degree

belligerent

infinitive

to be belligerent

gerund

belligerenting

participle

belligerenting

Origin and Evolution of belligerent

First Known Use: 1577 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'belligerent' originated from the Latin word 'belligerantem', which is derived from 'bellum' meaning war and 'gerere' meaning to wage.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in English to describe a country or person engaged in warfare, the word 'belligerent' has evolved to also describe someone who is hostile or aggressive in behavior.