For a guy who was chosen by his father as the only son to be taught the secrets of this martial art, he doesn't have that much of a kick.
Source: tatoeba (27760)
Martial
/ˈmɑːʃəl/
Synonyms for "martial" (86 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (18)
Adjective(2 words)
warlikecombat ready
Strong matches (25)
Adjective(4 words)
Related words (43)
militaryoffensivepugnaciousquarrelsomesaber-rattlingsanguinarysanguineoussavagescrappysoldiersoldierlikesoldierlyspiritedstalwartstaunchtrigger happytrigger-happytruculentunfriendlyunpacific
Show 7 more words
Adjective(10 words)
militarymilitary termmythicmythologicalregimentalroman soldier gearsoldierlikesoldierlystrictwarriorlike
Noun(5 words)
military unitsmore roman soldierlymost roman soldierlyroman soldierroman soldier life
Proper Noun(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: warlike, aggressive, antagonistic, army, battle.
- Sentence evidence is available for martial, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "martial".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "martial"
Keep "martial" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "martial" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "martial", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "martial" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriescharacter traitmilitary termmythology term
More specific
5 entriesMars mythcombat trainingmartial artsmartial lawmilitary drill
Collocations
6 entriesmartial artsmartial arts instructormartial lawmartial musicmartial spiritmartial training
Inflections
2 entriesmore martialmost martial
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
9 translations across 8 languages.
Dutch
2 entries- Martial name (male given name)
- Martialis name (male given name)
French
1 entries- Martial name (male given name)
Galician
1 entries- Marcial name (male given name)
Italian
1 entries- Marziale name (male given name)
Latin
1 entries- Martialis name (male given name)
Occitan
1 entries- Marçau name (male given name)
Portuguese
1 entries- Marcial name (male given name)
Spanish
1 entries- Marcial name (male given name)
Sample sentences
36 total sentences available.
The President suspended the constitution and imposed martial law.
Source: tatoeba (275897)
Which will he choose, I wonder, martial arts or death?
Source: tatoeba (328281)
Apprenticeship is a system where you eat, sleep and live with your master and are taught various martial arts know-how and secrets.
Source: tatoeba (328283)
Showing 4 of 36 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "martial"?
Closest matches include warlike, aggressive, antagonistic, army, battle.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "martial"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.