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Literary notes about Combative (AI summary)

In literature, the term combative is frequently employed to convey a spirited disposition marked by readiness to engage in conflict or challenge authority. Authors use it to characterize a variety of temperaments—from a subtle shift in demeanor, as when a once mild character turns noticeably combative [1], to an inherent, vigorous quality that drives figures to confront adversaries head-on, much like President Jackson’s well-known zest for dispute [2]. In some works, the adjective underscores both intellectual and physical assertiveness, suggesting that a seemingly minor provocation can awaken deep-seated combative instincts [3]. This dynamic usage highlights how combative not only colors a character’s actions and expressions but also illustrates the broader struggle between contrasting forces in human nature [4, 5].
  1. He was kindly; she forgot that, a moment ago, he hadn't seemed combative.
    — from Find the Woman by Arthur Somers Roche
  2. President Jackson, always combative, entered into the affair with his usual zest.
    — from Women of AmericaWoman: In all ages and in all countries Vol. 10 (of 10) by John Ruse Larus
  3. But then his was merely a combative spirit.
    — from Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 2, No. 12, May, 1851. by Various
  4. 'They rouse my indignation, my dear, against the unworthy persons, and give me a combative desire to stand between Mr Boffin and all such persons.
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
  5. Outwardly she had worn no badge of sorrow—she was just as quick, just as combative, just as vivaciously intellectual as she had always been.
    — from Sussex Gorse: The Story of a Fight by Sheila Kaye-Smith

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