different between bellicose vs cantankerous

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Latin bellicosus.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?b?l?ko?s/, /?b?l?ko?s/

Adjective

bellicose (comparative more bellicose, superlative most bellicose)

1. Warlike in nature; aggressive; hostile.
   • 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift

     The core Ice Age cast—wooly mammoth Manny (Ray Romano), sabertooth tiger Diego (Denis Leary), and sloth Sid (John Leguizamo)—are set adrift, sailing the high seas on a chunk of ice until they collide with a bellicose primate (Peter Dinklage).

2. Showing or having the impulse to be combative.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:combative

Antonyms

• pacific

Related terms

• antebellum
• bellicosity
• bellicism
• belligerent
• Bellona
• postbellum
• rebel
• rebellion

Coordinate terms

• trigger-happy
• warmonger

Translations

Italian

Adjective

bellicose f pl

1. feminine plural of bellicoso

Latin

Adjective

bellic?se

1. vocative masculine singular of bellic?sus

References

• bellicose in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

English

Etymology

Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kæn?tæ?k???s/, /k?n?tæ?k???s/

Adjective

cantankerous (comparative more cantankerous, superlative most cantankerous)

1. Given to or marked by an ill-tempered nature; ill-tempered, cranky, surly, crabby.

Usage notes

Note: cantankerous is generally used to describe an unpleasant elderly person in a slightly pejorative manner. However, the term can be used to people in general, livestock, and machinery as well.

Synonyms

• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• ornery
• surly
• truculent

Derived terms

Translations