truculent
UK /ˈtɹʌk.jʊ.lənt/ · US /ˈtɹʌk.jə.lənt/ adjective
- adjective Cruel or savage. “The truculent soldiers gave us a steely-eyed stare.”
- adjective Defiant or uncompromising.
- adjective Eager or quick to argue, fight or start a conflict.
- adjective (of speech or writing) Violent; rude; scathing; savage; harsh.
- adjective (obsolete, rare, of a disease) Destructive; deadly.
Synonyms
barbarous ferocious fierce bowelless brutal compassionless cruel flagitious demonic despiteful diabolic diabolical fell incessive inclement inhuman inhumane malicious merciless nasty
Etymology
First attested circa 1540, from Middle French, from Latin truculentus (“fierce, savage”), from trux (“fierce, wild”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Fierce; savage; ferocious; barbarous; as, the truculent inhabitants of Scythia. Ray.
- adjective Cruel; destructive; ruthless.
Etymology [L.truculentus, fr. trux, gen. trucis, wild, fierce: cf. F. truculent.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “truculent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details