bellicose

[bel-i-kohs]

adjective

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

bellicose

/ ˈbɛlɪˌkəʊs, -ˌkəʊz, ˌbɛlɪˈkɒsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. warlike; aggressive; ready to fight

Other Word Forms

• bellicosely adverb
• bellicosity noun
• bellicoseness noun
• unbellicose 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

He is the same officer Paetongtarn had complained about, and his bellicose nationalism has won him plenty of fans in Thailand but has also undermined the government's authority.

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At about the same time, more bellicose Republicans were celebrating the attacks on social media.

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Despite his bellicose Christianity, however, Donald Trump's appointee had no problem violating the biblical commandment against bearing false witness.

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The first ad from the group in Wisconsin race aired on Feb. 20, invoking a similar bellicose style to the group’s prior efforts.

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But during that first term, despite Trump's seeming threats to NATO, his bellicose rhetoric did push more European states to cough up extra cash for defence.

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Related Words

• antagonistic 
• combative 
• threatening