combative

com·bat·ive

(kəm-băt′ĭv)

adj.

Eager or disposed to fight. See Synonyms at belligerent.

com·bat′ive·ly adv.

com·bat′ive·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

combative

(ˈkɒmbətɪv; ˈkʌm-)

adj

eager or ready to fight, argue, etc; aggressive

ˈcombatively adv

ˈcombativeness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

com•bat•ive

(kəmˈbæt ɪv)

adj.

ready or inclined to fight; pugnacious.

[1825–35]

com•bat′ive•ly, adv.

com•bat′ive•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	combative - inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits; "a style described as abrasive and contentious"; "a disputatious lawyer"; "a litigious and acrimonious spirit" contentious, disputatious, disputative, litigious argumentative - given to or characterized by argument; "an argumentative discourse"; "argumentative to the point of being cantankerous"; "an intelligent but argumentative child"
	2.	combative - striving to overcome in argument; "a dialectical and agonistic approach" agonistical, agonistic competitive, competitory - involving competition or competitiveness; "competitive games"; "to improve one's competitive position"
	3.	combative - having or showing a ready disposition to fight; "bellicose young officers"; "a combative impulse"; "a contentious nature" battleful, bellicose aggressive - having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends; "an aggressive businessman"; "an aggressive basketball player"; "he was aggressive and imperious; positive in his convictions"; "aggressive drivers"

combative

adjective aggressive, militant, contentious, belligerent, antagonistic, pugnacious, warlike, carnivorous (informal), bellicose, truculent, quarrelsome Mrs Thatcher's combative oratorical style
pacific, peaceful, pacifist, peace-loving, nonviolent, peaceable, nonaggressive, nonbelligerent

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

combative

adjective

1. Having or showing an eagerness to fight:

bellicose, belligerent, contentious, hostile, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike.

2. Inclined to act in a hostile way:

aggressive, belligerent, contentious, hostile, militant.

3. Given to arguing:

argumentative, contentious, disputatious, eristic, litigious, polemic, polemical, quarrelsome, scrappy.

Translations

combattivo

combative

[ˈkɒmbətɪv] ADJ → combativo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

combative

[ˈkɒmbətɪv] adj [person, style] → combatif/ive

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

combative

adj (= pugnacious) → kämpferisch; (= competitive) → aggressiv

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

combative

[ˈkɒmbətɪv] adj → aggressivo/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

combative

adj agresivo

References in classic literature ?

Formerly she had felt that he regarded her with indifference and irony, and so had shrunk into herself as she did with others and had shown him only the combative side of her nature; but now he seemed to be trying to understand the most intimate places of her heart, and, mistrustfully at first but afterwards gratefully, she let him see the hidden, kindly sides of her character.

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Then, she was supported by an unnatural tension of the nerves, and by all the combative energy of her character, which enabled her to convert the scene into a kind of lurid triumph.

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The bravest, and the most combative and self- sacrificing of our comrades went into the Fighting Groups.

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Grewgious, quite beside himself, plunged about the room, to all appearance undecided whether he was in a fit of loyal enthusiasm, or combative denunciation.

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'They rouse my indignation, my dear, against the unworthy persons, and give me a combative desire to stand between Mr Boffin and all such persons.

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Around the hall, along the lofty wall, between the doors, between the windows, between the pillars, the interminable row of all the kings of France, from Pharamond down: the lazy kings, with pendent arms and downcast eyes; the valiant and combative kings, with heads and arms raised boldly heavenward.

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I regret to say that Polly never could talk with or be near Trix without feeling irritated and combative. She tried to conquer this feeling, but she could n't, and when Trix put on airs, Polly felt an intense desire to box her ears.

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He had a combative look and a chafing, irritable manner which, associated with his figure--still large and powerful, though evidently in its decline--rather alarmed me.

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Tom, as has been already said, was a robust and combative urchin, and at the age of four began to struggle against the yoke and authority of his nurse.

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Heckingbottom reckons playing the long game has paid dividends with landing combative Vela who also attracted interest from the likes of Derby, Hull and Leeds.

Paul finally gets Hibs man Vela

When taken into custody and put in the patrol car, Hunter became combative and began striking his head on the cage.

Vandalia man charged

There are three C's in Defence Marketing in regard to customer approach: Combative, Confrontational and Constructive.

Combative, Confrontational or Constructive: Which one are you?

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