Antonyms of adj pugnacious

2 senses of pugnacious

Sense 1
hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious -- (tough and callous by virtue of experience)

INDIRECT (VIA tough) -> tender -- (given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality; "a tender heart"; "a tender smile"; "tender loving care"; "tender memories"; "a tender mother")

Sense 2
pugnacious, rough -- (ready and able to resort to force or violence; "pugnacious spirits...lamented that there was so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance"- Herman Melville; "they were rough and determined fighting men")

INDIRECT (VIA aggressive) -> unaggressive, nonaggressive -- (not aggressive; not given to fighting or assertiveness)

Similarity of adj pugnacious

2 senses of pugnacious

Sense 1
hard-bitten, hard-boiled, pugnacious -- (tough and callous by virtue of experience)
       => tough (vs. tender) -- (not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character")

Sense 2
pugnacious, rough -- (ready and able to resort to force or violence; "pugnacious spirits...lamented that there was so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance"- Herman Melville; "they were rough and determined fighting men")
       => aggressive (vs. unaggressive) -- (having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends; "an aggressive businessman"; "an aggressive basketball player"; "he was aggressive and imperious; positive in his convictions"; "aggressive drivers")