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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bellicose Trump’s bellicose rhetoric toward Ukraine this week put one of McConnell’s most important issues on the front burner. Al Weaver, The Hill, 22 Feb. 2025 At the same time, Barnes was a crank of operatic grandiosity—thin-skinned, bellicose, distrustful, fickle, and vindictive. Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with their joint drills and Pyongyang often responds with bellicose threats. Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025 Trump’s revival of some of that bellicose language especially inflames nerves in Panama, said political scientist Miguel Antonio Bernal. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose
Adjective
  • The two were very aggressive from the start of the fight, with a lot of output.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • There are also more aggressive interventions for people with severe allergies who don’t respond to other medicines like desensitization therapy, also known as allergy shots.
    Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.
    Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
  • And in Lebanon, a series of Israeli attacks on the country have decapitated the militant group Hezbollah.
    Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.
    Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The American military presence in Asia is seen by allies as a critical counterbalance in a fractious region where China has been rapidly expanding its military might and a belligerent North Korea has been empowered by closer ties with Russia.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Successful long ago, Shelley is no longer a selling Machine of any sort, and mostly just begs for a break in comically desperate appeals that ping-pong from belligerent to pathetic.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The bottom line: Bipartisanship is the most obvious casualty of Schumer's new warlike posture toward the GOP.
    Hans Nichols, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Freyja, however, is a more warlike goddess, and even has a part in selecting warriors for her hall in the afterlife.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellicose. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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!