combative

1 of 2

adjective

com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈba-tiv How to pronounce combative (audio)
Synonyms of combativenext
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively adverb
combativeness noun

combativeness

2 of 2

noun

com·​bat·​ive·​ness
kəm-ˈba-tiv-nəs
plural -es
: the state or quality of being combative : pugnacity, belligerence
admitting that man's nature will never lose the combativeness, hostility, and animosity which are so large a part of it—Norman Angell

Synonyms of combative

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of combative in a Sentence

Adjective When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative. channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Their combative behavior gets under your skin as Mars and Uranus align! — Usa Today, USA Today, 4 July 2026 The release says a 29-year-old man became combative with first responders, and a paramedic shot him. — Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 2 July 2026 Up to this point, the narrator’s been an interrogative, at times combative presence. — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 21 June 2026 At once pugnaciously combative and unreservedly sentimental, Landon chose to take the series out with a commentary on class revolt. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for combative

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of combative was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

combat intelligence
combative
combative accent
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

combative

adjective
com·​bat·​ive kəm-ˈbat-iv How to pronounce combative (audio)
: eager to fight : pugnacious
combativeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on combative

Nglish: Translation of combative for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All