war hawk
- noun
- /wɔr hɔk/
- War hawks frequently draw analogies between Iran and Nazi Germany.
And you know, he was, he was really a hawk, a real unreformed, unrequited, requited Cold War hawk.
- And you know, he was, he was really a hawk, a real unreformed, unrequited, requited Cold War hawk.
Examples
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Reagan brought theocrats and war hawks into the Republican Party.
Blog text (34) -
"One young woman suggested Romney was trying to "appeal to the war hawks."
Blog text (5) -
- So you're just gonna let those war hawks start world war III?
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If Hillary Clinton was a "war hawk" -- then Susan Rice is much more so ...
Blog text (16) -
He referred to his opponents as "war hawks" and suggested that the president should be impeached if he deployed U.S. troops without Congressional approval.
Academic text (1999) -
Many politicians are classified as war hawks due to their eagerness to use military force in conflicts.
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During the debate, several war hawks argued passionately for increased military spending to prepare for potential threats.
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Following the incident, the administration faced pressure from war hawks who were demanding a stronger military response.
Synonyms
A person who supports using military force in other countries
A person who wants their country to start a war or use force against other countries
A person who supports using a strong army and war to solve problems
A person who strongly supports their country and wants it to attack other countries
Antonyms
How Hawkish
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who strongly supports war' is directly compositional from 'war' (armed conflict) + 'hawk' (someone who advocates forceful intervention), so a learner who knows both constituent senses can infer the compound. This noun–noun compounding follows a regular English pattern and the political 'hawk' metaphor is common cross-linguistically, making the expression immediately understandable.
Etymology
War hawk compares a person to a hawk, a fierce bird that hunts and attacks other animals. Because a hawk seems aggressive, calling someone a war hawk makes you think of a person who wants to fight or use force, so the phrase means 'a person who strongly supports war'.