warlike

Adjective

warlike (comparative more warlike, superlative most warlike)

1. Hostile and belligerent.
   • “I see a somewhat warlike atmosphere. Silence can say many things,” a driver from eastern Caracas told CNN, asking not to be identified for security reasons.2026 January 3, Ray Sanchez, “Nicolás Maduro’s capture by US met with celebrations in South Florida and apprehension in Caracas”, in CNN, archived from the original on 03 Jan 2026
2. Martial, bellicose or militaristic.
   • Doubt not my Lord and gratious Soueraigne,
     But Tamburlaine, and that Tartarian rout,
     Shall either periſh by our warlike hands,
     Or plead for mercie at your highneſſe feet.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...
   • Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2023