warmonger
/'wɔ:,mʌɳgə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A person who actively promotes, advocates for, or seeks to incite war or aggressive, warlike policies. The term carries a strong negative connotation, implying that the person is eager for conflict, often for personal, political, or ideological gain, rather than out of necessity.
Usage
The word "warmonger" is used as a count noun. It is a pejorative term, almost always used to criticize or condemn someone's stance. It is commonly found in political discourse, historical analysis, and journalism.
Examples
- The senator was labeled a warmonger by the peace activists for his relentless push to increase military spending and intervention abroad.
- History often remembers the aggressive general as a warmonger, more interested in glory than in the lives of his soldiers.
- The editorial accused the foreign minister of being a warmonger, arguing that his rhetoric was deliberately escalating tensions.
Advanced Usage
- "To be accused of warmongering": This verbal form is more common than the noun in some contexts. It describes the act of promoting war.
- The opposition party accused the government of warmongering to distract from domestic problems.
- Rhetorical Use: The term is often used as a rhetorical device in debates to discredit an opponent's foreign policy as unnecessarily belligerent.
Variants and Related Words
- Warmongering (noun/adj): The act or policy of advocating for war. Can be used as a noun ("an era of warmongering") or an adjective ("warmongering rhetoric").
- Bellicose (adj): Demonstrating aggression and a willingness to fight. (e.g., ).
- Hawk (noun): A person who advocates for aggressive military policies or actions. Less intensely negative than "warmonger," often used in formal political analysis (contrasted with "dove").
Synonyms
- Bellicist: A formal term for a person who advocates war.
- Militarist: A person who believes a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively.
- Jingoist: A person characterized by extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.
Antonyms
- Pacifist: A person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable.
- Dove: A person who advocates for peaceful, diplomatic, or conciliatory policies, especially in foreign affairs.
Noun
- a person who advocates war or warlike policies