belligerent
gb/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt/ us/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt/
C1
English
agresszív, harcias, agresszív személy, hadviselő, hadviselő fél
C1
1
Usage pattern:
belligerent (toward) [someone]/(about) [something]
He became belligerent when the manager refused to refund him.
Agresszívvá vált, amikor az üzletvezető nem volt hajlandó visszaadni a pénzét.
Her belligerent tone made the discussion impossible to continue.
Agresszív hangneme lehetetlenné tette a beszélgetés folytatását.
The interview grew tense as the politician gave increasingly belligerent answers.
Learner examples
The customer was belligerent and rude.
A vevő agresszív és udvariatlan volt.
Please don’t be belligerent; let’s talk calmly.
Kérlek, ne légy agresszív; beszéljük meg nyugodtan.
Common mistake:
Learners often use *belligerent* to mean simply "confident" or "loud"; it specifically suggests hostility or aggression. Also, "belligerent to" is less natural than "belligerent toward."
Meaning
hostile and ready to argue
Collocations
belligerent attitude
|belligerent behavior
|belligerent manner
|belligerent tone
|belligerent remarks
|belligerent language
|belligerent response
|grow belligerent
|become belligerent
|increasingly belligerent
Synonyms
aggressive (More general; not always openly hostile.)
|
hostile (Emphasizes unfriendly feelings; less about readiness to fight.)
|
combative (Highlights arguing and confrontation.)
Antonyms
peaceful (Not inclined to conflict or fighting.)
|
calm (Not angry or confrontational in manner.)
|
conciliatory (Actively trying to make peace or reach agreement.)
Themes
emotions
|conflict
|communication
Definition
angry and wanting to fight or argue
Showing a hostile, aggressive attitude and a willingness to fight or argue.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a belligerent; belligerents
Security escorted the belligerent out of the bar.
A biztonságiak kikísérték az agresszív személyt a bárból.
The staff are trained to handle belligerents without escalating the situation.
A személyzetet arra képezik ki, hogy kezelni tudják az agresszív személyeket anélkül, hogy elmérgesítenék a helyzetet.
Police separated several belligerents after the match.
Learner examples
A belligerent started shouting at the cashier.
Egy agresszív alak kiabálni kezdett a pénztárosra.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse the noun *a belligerent* (a person) with the adjective *belligerent* (describing someone or something).
Meaning
a hostile, aggressive person
Collocations
drunken belligerent
|angry belligerent
|deal with belligerents
|a belligerent in the crowd
|remove a belligerent
|confront a belligerent
Synonyms
troublemaker (More general; not necessarily aggressive.)
|
bully (Emphasizes intimidation of weaker people.)
|
agitator (Often political; focuses on stirring others up.)
Antonyms
peacemaker (A person who tries to reduce conflict.)
|
mediator (Someone who helps others reach agreement.)
Themes
people
|conflict
|daily_life
Definition
a person who wants to fight or argue
A person who behaves in a hostile, aggressive, or argumentative way.
C1
FORMAL
3
hadviselő
C1
Usage pattern:
belligerent [country/group]; belligerent forces
The treaty required belligerent states to withdraw their troops.
A szerződés előírta, hogy a hadviselő államok vonják ki csapataikat.
Aid agencies struggled to reach civilians in areas controlled by belligerent forces.
A segélyszervezetek nehezen jutottak el a civilekhez a hadviselő erők által ellenőrzött területeken.
Several belligerent countries agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Learner examples
Two belligerent countries signed a ceasefire.
Két hadviselő ország tűzszünetet írt alá.
Common mistake:
In this sense, *belligerent* means "taking part in a war," not "angry"—context (countries, forces, conflict) usually makes the meaning clear.
Meaning
at war; in armed conflict
Collocations
belligerent countries
|belligerent states
|belligerent forces
|belligerent powers
|belligerent nations
|belligerent factions
|belligerent sides
Synonyms
warring (More common and less formal.)
|
at war (Plain, everyday phrasing.)
Antonyms
neutral (Not taking sides in the conflict.)
|
nonbelligerent (Not engaged in the fighting (more formal).)
Themes
politics
|history
|law
|international_relations
Definition
in a war or fighting
Taking part in a war or armed conflict, especially as an official participant.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
4
hadviselő
C1
Usage pattern:
a belligerent; the belligerents (in/at) [conflict/war]
Peace talks began after both belligerents agreed to send delegates.
A béketárgyalások azután kezdődtek meg, hogy mindkét hadviselő fél beleegyezett küldöttek küldésébe.
The agreement imposed restrictions on trade with belligerents.
A megállapodás korlátozásokat vezetett be a hadviselő felekkel folytatott kereskedelemre.
International monitors urged the belligerents to protect civilians.
Learner examples
The belligerents met to discuss a ceasefire.
A hadviselő felek azért találkoztak, hogy tűzszünetről tárgyaljanak.
Common mistake:
This noun often refers to countries or armed groups (not individuals). For people, English more often says "an aggressive person" or uses the adjective.
Meaning
a nation or group at war
Collocations
the belligerents
|talks between belligerents
|a belligerent in the conflict
|neutrality toward belligerents
|recognize a belligerent
|support one belligerent
Synonyms
combatant (Often focuses on fighters rather than states; can be more military-specific.)
|
warring party (Clear and common phrasing; less formal than *belligerent*.)
Antonyms
neutral (A state or party not participating in the war.)
|
bystander (Not involved; less suitable for international conflicts.)
Themes
politics
|history
|international_relations
|law
Definition
a country or group that is fighting in a war
A nation, group, or other party that is taking part in a war or armed conflict.
Grammar
Dictionary form
belligerent
IPA
GB/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt/
US/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt/
Syllables & stress
bel - li - ger - ent (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (li)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: belligerent
Noun
- Base: belligerent
- Plural: belligerents
Word family
Forms
belligerents
noun
Core family
belligerence
noun C1
belligerently
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
nonbelligerent
adjective
Advanced or less common
belligerency
noun
Expressions
belligerent behavior
1/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
fixed phrase
aggressive way of acting
acting in an angry, fighting way
Examples
- The airline has a zero-tolerance policy for belligerent behavior.
- His belligerent behavior escalated after he had a few drinks.
- The teacher addressed the belligerent behavior before it spread to other students.
Learner examples
- The guard stopped his belligerent behavior.
belligerent rhetoric
1/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt ɹˈɛtɚɪk/
fixed phrase
formal
aggressive public language
angry public language that threatens or attacks
Examples
- Analysts warned that belligerent rhetoric could lead to escalation.
- The campaign relied on belligerent rhetoric rather than detailed policies.
- Both sides were asked to tone down their belligerent rhetoric.
Learner examples
- The leader used belligerent rhetoric in his speech.
belligerent stance
1/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt stˈæns/
fixed phrase
aggressive position or attitude
an attitude that is ready to fight or argue
Examples
- The company adopted a belligerent stance toward the regulator.
- His belligerent stance in negotiations made compromise difficult.
- The editorial criticized the government’s belligerent stance on the border.
Learner examples
- They took a belligerent stance in the meeting.
belligerent tone
1/bɪlˈɪd͡ʒɚənt tˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
hostile way of speaking
a speaking voice that sounds angry and ready to argue
Examples
- She replied in a belligerent tone, as if she expected a fight.
- The email’s belligerent tone offended the entire team.
- Try to avoid a belligerent tone when giving feedback.
Learner examples
- He used a belligerent tone with the waiter.