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Don't War Over the Meaning of Bellicose
Since bellicose describes an attitude that hopes for actual war, the word is generally applied to nations and their leaders. In the 20th century, it was commonly used to describe such figures as Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm, Italy's Benito Mussolini, and Japan's General Tojo, leaders who believed their countries had everything to gain by starting wars. The international relations of a nation with a bellicose foreign policy tend to be stormy and difficult, and bellicosity usually makes the rest of the world very uneasy.
Examples of bellicose in a Sentence
New Yorker, 24 June 1985
For three centuries Viking raiders haunted western Europe. The bellicose Charlemagne himself felt menaced.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, The Discoverers, 1983
His evident calm, which always infuriated the opposition, must have irritated the bellicose colonel to a point at which he could control himself no longer.
—Michael Pearson, Those Damned Rebels, 1972
bellicose hockey players who seem to spend more time fighting than playing
Brett Samuels, The Hill, 13 June 2025
Courtesy of Derek Ouellette Trump's bellicose remarks gave a huge boost to Canadian nationalism, with many vowing to boycott the U.S. and its products.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 1 May 2025
The bellicose posture from a country considered Canada’s closest friend has unleashed a desire to stand up to the United States and a rallying-round-the-flag that has translated into a defiant patriotism.
—Matina Stevis-Gridneff, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Room for Disagreement There is a case that a less bellicose, less in-your-face flavour of DOGE could work better — and that such changes are easier when they’re not associated with a controversial figure.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Cite this Entry
“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellicose. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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