Synonym Chooser

How is the word bellicose distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of bellicose are belligerent, contentious, pugnacious, and quarrelsome. While all these words mean "having an aggressive or fighting attitude," bellicose suggests a disposition to fight.

a drunk in a bellicose mood

Where would belligerent be a reasonable alternative to bellicose?

In some situations, the words belligerent and bellicose are roughly equivalent. However, belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities.

belligerent nations

When could contentious be used to replace bellicose?

Although the words contentious and bellicose have much in common, contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling.

wearied by his contentious disposition

When might pugnacious be a better fit than bellicose?

The words pugnacious and bellicose can be used in similar contexts, but pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat.

a pugnacious gangster

When is quarrelsome a more appropriate choice than bellicose?

While the synonyms quarrelsome and bellicose are close in meaning, quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause.

the heat made us all quarrelsome

Examples of bellicose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Edelstein is taking his cues from the text, though his cast sometimes struggles when the bellicose mood switches abruptly into high pathos. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024 Several other locals shared Halabi’s bellicose approach but others were too shocked and emotionally devastated to talk politics. Cnaan Lidor, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2024 Whereas other música Mexicana acts have built massive audiences by singing about their bellicose escapades, Cornejo has made a name for himself by focusing on matters of the heart. Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2024 Rogozin, known for his bellicose but usually toothless rhetoric, threatened to halt exports of RD-180 engines for US military missions on the Atlas V. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bellicose 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bellicose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near bellicose

Cite this Entry

“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellicose. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on bellicose

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!