belligerency
belligerency — noun
1. a very aggressive and unfriendly attitude that makes a person or group keen to s
a very aggressive and unfriendly attitude that makes a person or group keen to start fights or arguments
Hugo's belligerency at the meeting shocked his quiet colleagues, who expected a calm discussion.
possessive + belligerency at [event]
The coach's constant belligerency toward referees finally got the whole team banned from the league.
belligerency toward [people]
Talia answered every question with such belligerency that the interviewer ended the meeting early.
Whenever anyone parked a car near his gate, Dario's belligerency frightened the neighbours.
- aggressiveness
general readiness to attack or confront, not always about fighting
- combativeness
eagerness to fight or argue, close in meaning
- hostility
open unfriendliness, less tied to actual fighting
- friendliness
warm, welcoming manner toward others
- peaceableness
a calm, non-confrontational disposition
文法句型
belligerency toward + noun
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and formal; often appears with a possessive (someone's belligerency) or with toward naming the target of the hostility.
常見錯誤
2. a situation in which nations or armed groups are actually fighting one another i
a situation in which nations or armed groups are actually fighting one another in war
Months of belligerency between the two nations left thousands of families without homes.
belligerency between [two parties]
The treaty finally ended years of belligerency along the disputed mountain border.
ended + years of belligerency
Reporters described the open belligerency in the region as the worst fighting in decades.
When belligerency resumed in spring, Kwame moved his family to a safer town.
- warfare
the ongoing activity of fighting a war
- hostilities
acts of war, usually used in the plural
文法句型
a state of belligerency
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the actual armed conflict between groups, not one person's aggressive mood. Often follows 'a state of'.