pugn-, pug-, pugil-

Descriptive of one who fights with his or her fists: The new kid in school was found to be quite pugilistic and who was always getting into fist fights with hie peers.

Descriptive of a person who loves to box or fight; pugilistic: Nigel seemed to be a pugilistical kind of person who loved to get into vigorous debates and become quite hostile and offensive, and intending to make his opponents very angry.

A handful.

1. Conveying a quarrelsome or combative disposition; being belligerent: Susan was behaving in a pugnacious way when her mother asked her to do some household chores, like taking out the garbage.

Because of Tim's pugnacious attitude, he has a problem getting along with his fellow politicians and so he fails to achieve any of the objectives for which he was elected.

2. Relating to an eagerness to fight or to argue about issues instead of using calm discussions: The two sisters were quite pugnacious when they were young kids, often being unfriendly and controversial with each other.
3. Characterizing a person who is uncontrollable and who resorts to force or violence: Some pugnacious children in schools apparently don't know how to get along with each other and so they are often involved in threatening others or fighting on the playgrounds. © ALL rights are reserved.
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A reference to how situations escalate in which someone is given to fighting, is quarrelsome, or contentious: Tim was so upset because his wife had just left him and he reacted pugnaciously when a friend, who didn't realize that she was gone, asked him how his wife was doing.

Assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness: Mary's son, Tom, was so quarrelsome and belligerent at home that she decided to go to a specialist to ask for advice about the pugnaciousness of her son.

1. The desire to start an argument or fight: Little Joey was known for his pugnacity and none of the children at his school wanted to play with him because he was always criticizing, insulting, or harassing them in some way.
2. The act of expressing a statement or opinion very forcefully: Grace expressed her pugnacity when she told her brother that he was a liar because he denied taking money from her purse even though she had seen him do it. © ALL rights are reserved.

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Subject to being opposed, contended against, or resisted: The outcome of the election was certainly repugnable, disputed, and challenged by the republican leader of the USA.

1. A very strong feeling of dislike or disgust about something or someone; revulsion: They felt nothing but repugnance for the terror group's violent history.
2. An extreme aversion to something or someone; loathing: Lynn has a total repugnance, disgust, and abhorrence towards men who mishandle and abuse their wives or other women.

Opposition; contrariety; especially, a strong instinctive antagonism, aversion, and reluctance about someone or something: The repugnancy of the odor of that squid definitely keeps Mark from wanting to eat it!

1. A reference to something that is offensive and completely unacceptable: The idea of wearing a swimsuit to a formal dinner is an example of repugnant social conduct.
2. Descriptive of something that is very disturbing and can make people feel physically repelled or disgusted: Because the changing room at the gym hadn't been aired out and six P.E. periods had taken place that day, the room had quite a repugnant odor!
3. Relating to a person who is offensive or repulsive by behaving immorally and badly: Rebecca displayed total repugnant behavior by encouraging other students to drink alcoholic beverages before school in the morning.
4. Etymology: from Latin repugnantem, repugnans and repugnare, "to fight back, to resist"; from re-, "back" + pugnare, "to fight". © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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Characteristic of how someone behaves in a detestable or repulsive way: It can be stated the former president was either repugnantly adverse and antagonistic or was balefully mislead and lying.

A rare term meaning to resist or to stand firmly against someone or something: Little Susi was three years old had the tendency to repuginate, or fight against, what her mother wanted her to do, like going to bed in the evening!

Where repugnant or inconsistent directions are contained in a will, neither is valid.