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pugilistic

pugilistic

3 9.7
Relates to boxing or how a boxer fights
  • adjective
  • /ˌpjuːdʒɪˈlɪstɪk/
translation icon : pugilístico
  • Against a better wrestler, he would use his pugilistic skills to batter them until they could no longer continue, or they were so beaten he could easily pin or submit them.
  • pugilistic dementia
  • more pugilistic

He had these pugilistic skills, then studied judo and jiu jitsu.

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Examples

  • Arum's prediction regarding De La Hoya's power to produce pugilistic profits proved true.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Tonight, our coast-to-coast hookup... brings you the biggest pugilistic event of the year.

  • Let's you and me have a little talk about the pugilistic profession.

  • Never in the history of pugilistic pursuit has one so completely dominated.

  • He had these pugilistic skills, then studied judo and jiu jitsu.

  • At a press conference held a few days prior to the fight, nine officers from the Las Vegas Police Department stood guard amid the boxers and their respective entourages, and sheets of Plexiglas provided a barrier between the two pugilistic rivals.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Under trainer Fritz Sdunek, Wlad was an offensive machine, a pugilistic annihilator, something far different from the more measured, cautious boxer he would later become under Emanuel Steward.

    Blog text (22)
  • The fight was an exciting display of pugilistic skill, showcasing both boxers' techniques and strategies.

  • His pugilistic style impressed the crowd, as he danced around his opponent and threw precise punches.

  • During the championship, the commentators analyzed the athletes' pugilistic techniques and their impact on the match.

Synonyms

fistic
vspugilistic
  • Archaic
1 7.8

Relating to fighting with the fists

is specific to organized ring fighting and boxers style

How Combative

belligerent
26 7.5
aggressive
311 3.7
pugilistic
3 9.7
defensive
346 3.8
peaceful
428 1.0

Surface Forms

pugilistic positive

Morphology

pugilistic = pugilist (transparent) = pugilist + ic

Formed by adding the common adjective-forming suffix '-ic' to the noun 'pugilist', so the meaning 'relating to boxers/boxing' is directly predictable.

Etymology

Pugilistic comes from the Latin root pugil meaning 'boxer' or 'fighter'. It is related to English words like pugnacious, which means 'eager to fight', so pugilistic describes a style or attitude that is aggressive or like a boxer in how it fights or argues.