(a.) Like a lion; brave as a lion.

abusive active back-biting belittling bitchy brisk calumniatory calumnious catlike cattish censorious contemptuous contumelious defamatory deprecatory depreciative depreciatory derisive derisory derogative derogatory despiteful detractory disparaging evil felid feline fretful furtive hateful kittenish leonine libelous lionlike lively malevolent minimizing nagging naggy nimble peevish pejorative pettish petulant querulous rancorous resentful ridiculing scandalous scurrile scurrilous shrewish slanderous slighting spiteful sprightly spry tigerish vicious vilifying vixenish vixenly volant wicked zippy