bellicose
warlike or aggressive
Root
- bell: war
Other words with the bell root
- belligerent: hostile and ready to fight
- rebel: resister against authority
Bell gives war. Bellicose speech sounds ready for battle before anyone has drawn a sword.
His bellicose speech made negotiation feel impossible before it even began.
Bellicose is warlike energy in a person, policy, tone, or crowd. The fight may be verbal, but the posture is military: chest forward, patience gone.