1
: resembling or suggesting a hawk or the beak of a hawk in appearance
a hawkish nose
He has a thatch of black curly hair and hawkish features.—
Jeff Shear
Jeff Shear2
: having a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocating immediate vigorous action
especially
: supporting war or warlike policies
a hawkish politician
He was a frequent and persistently hawkish participant in the war councils of the Administration. —Vincent Blasi
Vincent Blasi While definitions vary, "neoconservative" generally refers to formerly moderate policy advocates who favor a hawkish and assertive foreign policy to implant democracy and American values abroad. —Paul Richter
Paul Richter
hawkishly
adverb
Land is expensive, scarce, and watched hawkishly by environmentalists.
—Boston Magazine
Boston Magazine
hawkishness
noun
… his Western anti-government philosophy and cold-war hawkishness…
—Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham
Examples of hawkish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If industrial demand keeps softening and the Fed turns hawkish, $70 is on the table.
—Tim Maxwell, CBS News, 28 May 2026
In an interview published Tuesday, the hawkish Czech President Petr Pavel revealed to the Financial Times that nine of the 18 member nations of the effort had stopped contributing, jeopardizing the supply of large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2026
The rise in yields has come as investors price in higher inflation and more hawkish monetary policy.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 May 2026
The market has decided the Al boom can outrun both a hawkish Fed and a fearful consumer.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
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Tim Maxwell, CBS News, 28 May 2026
In an interview published Tuesday, the hawkish Czech President Petr Pavel revealed to the Financial Times that nine of the 18 member nations of the effort had stopped contributing, jeopardizing the supply of large-caliber ammunition to Ukraine.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2026
The rise in yields has come as investors price in higher inflation and more hawkish monetary policy.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 May 2026
The market has decided the Al boom can outrun both a hawkish Fed and a fearful consumer.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hawkish
Cite this Entry
“Hawkish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawkish. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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