Truculent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈtrə-kyə-lənt/ tru·cu·lent

Meaning & Definition of Truculent

Truculent (adjective)

  1. aggressively self-assertive, belligerent
  2. scathingly harsh, vitriolic
  3. feeling or displaying ferocity, cruel, savage

Truculent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. feeling or displaying eagerness to fight

    "die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team's loss"

    similar: aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, warlike, on the warpath
    related: antagonistic, fierce, hostile, hot-tempered, acidic, bearish, bilious, bristly, choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, disagreeable, dyspeptic, fractious, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, huffy, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, ornery, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, querulous, rude, snappish, snappy, stroppy (British), surly, testy, touchy, ugly, waspish, savage, vicious, battling, fighting, warring
    opposite: nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative, uncontentious
    near: anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike, affable, amiable, amicable, benevolent, complaisant, conciliatory, cordial, easygoing, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, ingratiating, kindhearted, obliging, pleasant, sociable, calm, quiet, relaxed, serene, tranquil, benign, gentle, kindly, mild

  2. marked by harsh insulting language

    "a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews"

    similar: abusive, contumelious, invective, opprobrious, scurrile, scurrilous, vitriolic, vituperative, vituperatory
    related: affronting, insulting, offending, offensive, outrageous, outraging, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, foul, foulmouthed, gross, indecent, nasty, obscene, potty-mouthed, vulgar, contemptuous, disdainful, scornful, defamatory, libelous, scandalous, slanderous, maligning, traducing, vilifying, hateful, malevolent, malicious, spiteful, immoderate, intemperate, unbridled, unrestrained
    near: moderate, temperate, deferential, respectful, civil, courteous, gracious, mannerly, polite, discreet, judicious, tempered, encomiastic, laudative, laudatory, praiseful

  3. having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others

    "played the role of a disturbed and truculent villain"

    similar: atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, butcherly, cruel, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, savage, vicious, wanton, red in tooth and claw
    related: hard-hearted, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, unfeeling, fell, ferocious, grim, bloodthirsty, cutthroat, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine, catty, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vindictive, draconian, draconic, hardhanded, harsh, heavy-handed, oppressive
    opposite: benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted
    near: tender, warm, warmhearted, charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying, pacific, peaceable, peaceful

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Truculent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Truculent:

aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, warlike, abusive, contumelious, invective, opprobrious, scurrile, scurrilous, vitriolic, vituperative, vituperatory, atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, brute, butcherly, cruel, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Truculent

Words with the opposite meaning of Truculent:

nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative, uncontentious, benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted

Related Words for Truculent

antagonistic, fierce, hostile, hot-tempered, acidic, bearish, bilious, bristly, choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, disagreeable, dyspeptic, fractious, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, huffy, ill-humored, ill-natured, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, ornery, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, querulous

Near Antonyms of Truculent

anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike, affable, amiable, amicable, benevolent, complaisant, conciliatory, cordial, easygoing, friendly, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, ingratiating, obliging, pleasant, sociable, calm, quiet, relaxed, serene, tranquil, gentle, kindly, mild, moderate, temperate

Word Forms of Truculent

Derived words: truculently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Truculent

Latin truculentus, from truc-, trux savage; perhaps akin to Middle Irish trú doomed person

First known use: circa 1540

Frequently Asked Questions about Truculent

What does "Truculent" mean?

"Truculent" means aggressively self-assertive, belligerent. As an adjective, it is defined as: aggressively self-assertive, belligerent. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Truculent"?

Other words for "Truculent" include aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly and chippy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Truculent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Truculent"?

There are 151 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Truculent". Common alternatives include aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, bellicose, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative and confrontational.

What is the opposite of "Truculent"?

Antonyms of "Truculent" include nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative and uncontentious. Near antonyms include anti-imperialist, antimilitarist, unwarlike and affable.

How do you use "Truculent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Truculent" in a sentence: "die-hard fans who became truculent and violent after their team's loss"; "a theater critic who was notorious for his titanically truculent reviews"; "played the role of a disturbed and truculent villain".

Is "Truculent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Truculent" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Truculent"?

"Truculent" is pronounced /ˈtrə-kyə-lənt/ and divided into syllables as tru·cu·lent.

What is the origin of the word "Truculent"?

"Truculent" comes from Latin truculentus, from truc-, trux savage; perhaps akin to Middle Irish trú doomed person. First known use: circa 1540.