warlike

American  

[wawr-lahyk] / ˈwɔrˌlaɪk /

adjective

1. fit, qualified, or ready for war; martial.

   a warlike fleet; warlike tribes.

2. threatening or indicating war.

   a warlike tone.

   Synonyms:

   unfriendly , inimical , hostile , belligerent , bellicose

   Antonyms:

   peaceful

3. of or relating to war.

   a warlike expedition.

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warlike British  

/ ˈwɔːˌlaɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in war

2. hostile or belligerent

3. fit or ready for war

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Other Word Forms

• unwarlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of warlike

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; war ¹, -like

Example Sentences

The book’s poetic language offers a stark contrast to the warlike terms climate advocates tend to use to describe carbon.

From Salon

Significant Houthi damage to a U.S. naval vessel at any point in the future could plunge Washington into warlike acts that might risk direct conflict with Iran.

From Salon

In 568 C.E., according to contemporary records, warlike horse riders from the Mongolian steppes called the Avars surged into the grassy plains flanking the Danube River, in roughly the territory of modern Hungary.

From Science Magazine

Male chimpanzees are “physically quite brutal” toward females and coerce them into sex, Hare explains, which could give particularly forceful individuals more opportunities to mate and pass on their warlike traits to the next generation.

From Science Magazine

Today’s Israel-Hamas war and America's own increasingly warlike divisions are forcing some of us to bear realities we haven’t borne quite so heavily before.

From Salon