war-path
Definition
- Noun:
- A route taken for war: "war-path" historically refers to the path or journey taken by Indigenous American warriors when setting out on a military expedition or raid.
- A state of hostility: In modern usage, "war-path" can metaphorically describe a person's aggressive or confrontational attitude or behavior, as if preparing for conflict.
Usage Examples
- (The literal path taken for a military expedition.)
- (A metaphorical state of anger and aggression.)
Advanced Usage
- "on the war-path": an idiom meaning to be very angry and ready to fight or argue.
- The boss is on the war-path today after the project failed. (The boss is extremely upset and confrontational.)
Variants and Related Words
- Warpath (n): a common alternative spelling without the hyphen.
- He is on the warpath against unfair policies. (He is aggressively opposing certain rules.)
Synonyms
- Hostile: showing or feeling opposition or dislike; unfriendly.
- Belligerent: engaged in or ready to fight; aggressive.
- Combative: ready or eager to fight or argue.
Phrasal Verbs
- Go on the war-path: to become very angry and start arguing or fighting.
- She went on the war-path when she discovered the error. (She became extremely angry and confrontational.)
Related Idioms
- On the war-path: (as above) in a state of anger or aggression.
- The customers were on the war-path after receiving faulty products. (The customers were very upset and demanding action.)