YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

bellicose

Adjective

IPA /ˈbelɪkəʊs/

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Meaning in plain English

Eager to argue, fight or threaten others.

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Pronunciation

bellicose/ˈbelɪkəʊs/

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A calm discussion begins
One speaker eagerly starts an argument
The speaker seeks confrontation

A bellicose person seems eager to argue or fight.

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His bellicose tone turned a small disagreement into a row.
The debate coach urged students to be persuasive without sounding bellicose.

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His ________ tone turned a small disagreement into a row.

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bellicose — Eager to argue, fight or threaten others.

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Eager to argue, fight or threaten others.

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Word origin

From Latin bellicosus, related to bellum, meaning war.

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Bellicose often describes language, behaviour, attitudes or a tone of voice.

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