bel·li·cose adjective \ˈbe-li-ˌkōs\: having or showing a tendency to argue or fight
Full Definition of BELLICOSE
: favoring or inclined to start quarrels or wars
— bel·li·cos·i·ty noun
Examples of BELLICOSE
- <bellicose hockey players who always seem to spend more time fighting than playing>
- Never in peacetime, perhaps, have the statements of our government officials been more relentlessly bellicose. Yet their actions have been comparatively cautious. —New Yorker, 24 June 1985
Origin of BELLICOSE
Middle English, from Latin bellicosus, from bellicus of war, from bellum war
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to BELLICOSE
- Synonyms
- aggressive, agonistic, argumentative, assaultive, belligerent, brawly, chippy, combative, confrontational, contentious, discordant, disputatious, feisty, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, scrappy, truculent, warlike
- Antonyms
- nonaggressive, nonbelligerent, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, unbelligerent, uncombative, uncontentious
Definition source: http://www.merriam-webster.com
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