Brawlers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals engaged in fighting or combat; participants in aggressive disputes or confrontations; people who express their frustrations or assert dominance through physical altercations
2. Individuals who participate in physical fights, often in a confrontational manner; those involved in heated arguments or scuffles; individuals who use brawling as a means to settle disagreements
3. People who take part in street fights or altercations, often characterized by their brutality; those who thrive in contentious situations or arguments; individuals known for their propensity to fight rather than resolve issues peacefully

Etymology: "Brawlers" is the plural of "brawler", a noun for someone who takes part in brawls. The singular was formed in Middle English from "brawl" plus the agent suffix "-er", the same ending found in words like "baker" or "singer" that names a person who does something. Over the centuries, "brawl" itself has kept its sense of a noisy, disorderly fight, so the noun simply names the person who keeps starting or joining such fights. The later extended senses, such as those who thrive in arguments, grow naturally from that core meaning. A person who relishes a contentious debate is treated as though they were fighting in it, and the figurative use follows the same pattern as the literal one.

Synonyms: fighters, boxers, combatants