bellicose

[ bel-i-kohs ]

adjective

1. inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.

bellicose

/ ˌbɛlɪˈkɒsɪtɪ; -ˌkəʊz; ˈbɛlɪˌkəʊs /

adjective

1. warlike; aggressive; ready to fight

Derived Forms

• ˈbelliˌcosely, adverb
• bellicosity, noun

Other Words From

• belli·cosely adverb
• bel·li·cos·i·ty [bel-i-, kos, -i-tee], belli·coseness noun
• un·belli·cose adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bellicose¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin bellicōsus, equivalent to bellic(us) “pertaining to war” ( bell(um) “war” + -icus -ic ) + -ōsus -ose ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bellicose¹

C15: from Latin bellicōsus , from bellum war

Example Sentences

There’s a lot of bellicose posturing from politicians and from people on social media fueling this conflict, but at its core, war comes down to moments like this, when one side or the other finds itself at the mercy of their enemy.

From Time

McQuade said the choice of Fernich suggests the campaign may be mostly concerned with presenting a bellicose image.

From The Daily Beast

Over his decades in New York politics, the Governor’s bellicose personality hasn’t changed, but the landscape around it has.

From Time

In the last decades of his life he became reclusive and bellicose.

From The Daily Beast

This explains why the Tea Party faithful often appear to be so bellicose.

From The Daily Beast

Despite bellicose statements to the contrary, China did nothing to intervene as the U.S. bombers passed through the area.

From The Daily Beast

In 2009 he published a book defaming Hitchens and Richard Dawkins because he was irked by their bellicose brand of atheism.

From The Daily Beast

Meanwhile, the usually tentative European powers have joined the more bellicose part of the choir.

From The Daily Beast

The bellicose ardor of the stripling seemed to strike the royal envoy even more forcibly than anything he had yet seen.

From Project Gutenberg

Naturally those parts of the river which remained unexplored were supposed to be the land of the "bellicose dames."

From Project Gutenberg

For one or the other to make way by temporarily backing, was, of course—to bellicose goats—entirely out of the question.

From Project Gutenberg

Two bellicose goats once encountered each other in the middle of a narrow bridge spanning a deep gulf and a raging torrent.

From Project Gutenberg

On account of his bellicose nature he was given the sobriquet of "Red Hot Jones."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• antagonistic
• combative
• threatening