Aggressive vs. Belligerent — What's the Difference?

Ready or likely to attack or confront; characterized by or resulting from aggression

A belligerent is an individual, group, country, or other entity that acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. The term comes from the Latin bellum gerere ("to wage war").

Characterized by aggression

Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive.

Inclined to behave in an actively hostile fashion

Of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare.

Assertive, bold, and energetic

One that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war.

Of or relating to an investment or approach to investing that seeks above-average returns by taking above-average risks.

Engaged in warfare, warring.

Fast growing; tending to spread quickly and invade

Eager to go to war, warlike.

Characterized by or inclined toward vigorous or intensive medical treatment

Of or pertaining to war.

Intense or harsh, as in color.

(by extension) Aggressively hostile, eager to fight.

Characterized by aggression; unjustly attacking; prone to behave in a way that involves attacking or arguing.

Acting violently towards others.

(programming) Of heuristics, source code optimization techniques, etc.: exploiting every opportunity to be applied.

Uncooperative.

That spreads quickly or extensively; virulent; malignant.

A state or other armed participant in warfare

(finance) Involving high risk for potentially high reward.

Waging war; carrying on war.

Female but having a male or masculine gender presentation: butch.

Pertaining, or tending, to war; of or relating to belligerents; as, a belligerent tone; belligerent rights.

One who is aggressive.

A nation or state recognized as carrying on war; a person engaged in warfare.

A (Black) woman who presents as masculine; a butch.

Someone who fights (or is fighting)

Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person, nation; an aggressive businessman; an aggressive basketball player; he was aggressive and imperious in his convictions; aggressive drivers. Opposite of unaggressive.

Characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight;

Marked by self-confident ambition, competitiveness, energy and initiative; as, an aggressive young executive.

Engaged in war;

Tending to spread quickly

Characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight

Having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends;

Marked by aggressive ambition and energy and initiative;

Tending to spread quickly;

Characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight;