BELLICOSE Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

bellicose

adjective

ˈbe-li-ˌkōs

Definition of bellicose next

as in aggressive

feeling or displaying eagerness to fight bellicose hockey players who seem to spend more time fighting than playing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 But the implosion of Assad’s regime could potentially weaken Putin’s hand in negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine, particularly if Putin’s bellicose threats in recent weeks of nuclear escalation are perceived as hollow. —

Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024 And North Korea’s increasingly bellicose attitude toward its neighbors has roiled China’s diplomatic and economic relations with South Korea and Japan. —

Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024 In addition to this bellicose foreign policy and disregard for American warnings, at home, Putin began to abandon Russia’s reform trajectory, instead combining an open economic system with an authoritarian regime. —

Stephan Kieninger / Made By History, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024 In the song, Lamar does a self-callout for being too bellicose in his raps. —

Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bellicose

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose

Adjective

Instead, her life was turned upside down last week after President Donald Trump’s administration began instituting mass layoffs as part of an aggressive effort to trim the federal workforce.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
That aggressive style of play limited how often Creighton could set up a half-court offense anchored by 7-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who is four inches taller than Ejiofor, the biggest St. John’s starter.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2025