truculent
/ˈtɹʌk.jə.lənt/adjective
truculent is spelled T-R-U-C-U-L-E-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, truculent means “Cruel or savage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in truculent?
| Letters | 9: T-R-U-C-U-L-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 10 million words; the 93,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is truculent?
Truculent appears about once in every 10 million words in written English, the 93,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce truculent?
- UK /ˈtɹʌk.jʊ.lənt/
- US /ˈtɹʌk.jə.lənt/
Truculent has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-truculent.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with truculent?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as truculent (/ʌkjələnt/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: unclutter.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of truculent
- more truculent comparative
- most truculent superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does truculent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Cruel or savage.
The truculent soldiers gave us a steely-eyed stare.
- 2
Defiant or uncompromising.
- 3
Eager or quick to argue, fight or start a conflict.
- 4
Violent; rude; scathing; savage; harsh.
- 5
obsoleterareDestructive; deadly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Truculent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | agressif |
| German | grausam, wild, barbarisch, grob , trotzig , streitsüchtig |
| Portuguese | truculento |
| Spanish | truculento |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does truculent come from?
First attested circa 1540, from Middle French, from Latin truculentus (“fierce, savage”), from trux (“fierce, wild”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).