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Pugnacious vs Confrontational - What's the difference?

pugnacious | confrontational |

As adjectives the difference between pugnacious and confrontational

is that pugnacious is naturally aggressive or hostile; combative; belligerent while confrontational is pertaining to a confrontation; characterized by, or given to initiating hostile encounter; in-your-face.

pugnacious

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Naturally aggressive or hostile; combative; belligerent.
  • * 1858 , (Anthony Trollope), Dr Thorne , ch. 3:
    • Not that the doctor was a bully, or even pugnacious , in the usual sense of the word; he had no disposition to provoke a fight, no propense love of quarrelling.
  • * 1904 , (Jack London), The Sea Wolf , ch. 15:
    • As he made the demand he spat out a mouthful of blood and teeth and shoved his pugnacious face close to Oofty-Oofty.
  • * 2003 , (Ken Follett), Hornet Flight , ISBN 9780451210746, pp. 249-250:
    • In the face of bad news Churchill normally became even more pugnacious , always wanting to respond to defeat by going on the attack.
  • * '>citation

    • Synonyms

    * See also

    Related terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l) ((l))

    confrontational

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Pertaining to a confrontation; characterized by, or given to initiating hostile encounter; in-your-face.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 15 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Liverpool 1 - 1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=It was Liverpool who once again carried the momentum after the break and the recalled Rio Ferdinand was booked for a foul on Suarez, whose confrontational approach and brilliant natural ability was proving hard to handle.}}