Warlike Meaning
/ˈwɔɹlaɪk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjHostile and belligerent.
adjMartial, bellicose or militaristic.
Sentence Examples
Under peaceful conditions, the warlike man attacks himself.
King Dodon, a lazy and gluttonous ruler, is greatly worried by his warlike neighbors.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ tribe often attacked its neighbors to steal their cattle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, the two regions often engaged in ____ activities, competing for local resources and several more land today.
Word Origin & History
From war + -like. Compare the older warly.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“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:
"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; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:
"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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ tribe often attacked its neighbors to steal their cattle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In the past, the two regions often engaged in ____ activities, competing for local resources and several more land today.