adjective

hawkish

HAW-kish

Hawkish (adjective) means favouring forceful or aggressive action, particularly military force or a hard line in foreign policy, rather than negotiation. Example: “The new defence secretary is markedly more hawkish than her predecessor.”

adjective

Favouring forceful or aggressive action, particularly military force or a hard line in foreign policy, rather than negotiation.

"The new defence secretary is markedly more hawkish than her predecessor."

"Hawkish voices in the cabinet pushed for sanctions within the week."

In economics, favouring tighter monetary policy — higher interest rates and restraint — in order to hold down inflation.

"The minutes struck a hawkish tone and the pound rallied."

"Two members of the committee remain hawkish on rates."

Watchful and sharp-eyed, like a hawk.

"He kept a hawkish eye on the till all evening."

How to use hawkish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishIn favour of taking a tough line rather than a soft one.

When to use it

Standard in political and financial journalism. The financial sense is now so common that 'hawkish' in a market report is about interest rates, not war.

Memory tip

Hawkish and dovish are always a pair — if a text uses one, the other is the position it is being measured against.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

hawkish vs. dovish hawk vs. dove

Common pairings

hawkish stance hawkish tone hawkish on inflation hawkish faction increasingly hawkish

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The new defence secretary is markedly more _____ than her predecessor.

Etymology

From hawk, the bird of prey, long used figuratively for a person who favours war, with the adjective ending -ish.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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militant belligerent aggressive warlike hardline vigilant keen-eyed watchful

Antonyms

dovish conciliatory pacifist

Related words

peace careful pacific competitive violent offensive terrorist pushing

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hawkish and dovish?

Hawkish means favouring the tougher option — military force in politics, or higher interest rates in economics. Dovish means favouring the softer one — diplomacy and restraint, or lower rates to support growth and employment. The terms describe a position on a spectrum, not a party.

What does hawkish mean in relation to the Fed or the Bank of England?

It means leaning towards raising interest rates or keeping them high to suppress inflation, even at the cost of slower growth. Markets read a hawkish statement as a signal that borrowing will stay expensive, which typically strengthens the currency and weighs on shares.

What is the meaning of hawkish?

"hawkish" (adjective) means favouring forceful or aggressive action, particularly military force or a hard line in foreign policy, rather than negotiation.

What is another word for hawkish?

Other words for "hawkish" include militant, belligerent, aggressive, warlike, hardline, vigilant.

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peace careful pacific competitive violent offensive terrorist pushing