Meaning & use

bellicose

adjective·Advanced

Eager to fight or go to war; aggressively hostile in manner or speech.

See it in a sentence

The dictator's bellicose speeches alarmed neighboring countries already wary of invasion.

His bellicose tone during the debate surprised colleagues who knew him as mild-mannered.

A note on using this word

"Bellicose" describes a temperament eager for conflict, whether in literal warfare or heated argument.

Words with a similar meaning

belligerentaggressivewarlike

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

peacefulconciliatory

Make it your own

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