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English

Etymology

First attested circa w:1540|1540, from truculentus, "fierce, savage," from trucis, genitive of trux, "fierce, wild."

Pronunciation

• , IPA: /ˈtrʌkjʊlənt/
• An audio transcript can be found at en-us-truculent.ogg

Adjective

1. Of things or persons that are cruel or savage
2. : When we were touring on a riverboat near Wikipedia:Dandong|Dandong, the truculent North Korean soldiers from the other side of the river gave us a steely-eyed death stare.
3. deadly|Deadly or destructive.
4. defiant|Defiant or uncompromising.

Quotations

• 1847 — w:Charlotte Brontë|Charlotte Brontë, s:Jane Eyre|Jane Eyre, ch VI
• : In her turn, Helen Burns asked me to explain, and I proceeded forthwith to pour out, in my own way, the tale of my sufferings and resentments. Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt, without reserve or softening.
• 1860-1861 — w:Charles Dickens|Charles Dickens, s:Great Expectations|Great Expectations, ch XLVI
• : She really was a most charming girl, and might have passed for a captive fairy, whom that truculent Ogre, Old Barley, had pressed into his service.
• 1895 — w:H. G. Wells|H. G. Wells, s:The Wheels of Chance|The Wheels of Chance, ch 10
• : Most of them were little dramatic situations, crucial dialogues, the return of Mr. Hoopdriver to his native village, for instance, in a well-cut holiday suit and natty gloves, the unheard asides of the rival neighbours, the delight of the old 'mater,' the intelligence—"A ten-pound rise all at once from Antrobus, mater. Whad d'yer think of that?" or again, the first whispering of love, dainty and witty and tender, to the girl he served a few days ago with sateen, or a gallant rescue of generalised beauty in distress from truculent insult or ravening dog.
• 1914 — w:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs, s:The Beasts of Tarzan|The Beasts of Tarzan, ch 10
• : If he came too close to a she with a young baby, the former would bare her great fighting fangs and growl ominously, and occasionally a truculent young bull would snarl a warning if Tarzan approached while the former was eating.
• 1922 — w:Rafael Sabatini|Rafael Sabatini, s:Captain Blood: His Odyssy|Captain Blood: His Odyssy, ch XVI
• : Cahusac appeared to be having it all his own way, and he raised his harsh, querulous voice so that all might hear his truculent denunciation.

Synonyms

• : barbarous, cruel, ferocious, fierce, savage
• : deadly, destructive
• : defiant, inflexible, stubborn, uncompromising, unyielding

Translations

• Portuguese: truculento

• Russian: жестокий
• Spanish: truculento

• Spanish: truculento

• Russian: вызывающий

Related terms

• truculence
• truculency
• truculently

See also

• belligerent

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French

Adjective

truculuent

1. colorful

fr:truculent hy:truculent io:truculent ro:truculent vi:truculent