Adjacent Words

Aggressive definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AGGRESS'IVE, a. Tending to aggress; making the first attack.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends; "an aggressive businessman"; "an aggressive basketball player"; "he was aggressive and imperious; positive in his convictions"; "aggressive drivers" [ant: nonaggressive, unaggressive]
2: tending to spread quickly; "an aggressive tumor" [syn: aggressive, fast-growing, strong-growing]
3: characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight; "aggressive acts against another country"; "a belligerent tone" [syn: aggressive, belligerent]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1824 1. a. tending toward or exhibiting aggression <aggressive behavior> b. marked by combative readiness <an aggressive fighter> 2. a. marked by obtrusive energy b. marked by driving forceful energy or initiative ; enterprising <an aggressive salesman> 3. strong or emphatic in effect or intent <aggressive colors> <aggressive flavors> 4. growing, developing, or spreading rapidly <aggressive bone tumors> 5. more severe, intensive, or comprehensive than usual especially in dosage or extent <aggressive chemotherapy> • aggressively adverb • aggressiveness noun • aggressivity noun Synonyms: aggressive, militant, assertive, self-assertive mean obtrusively energetic especially in pursuing particular goals. aggressive implies a disposition to dominate often in disregard of others' rights or in determined and energetic pursuit of one's ends <was taught to be aggressive in his business dealings>. militant also implies a fighting disposition but suggests not self-seeking but devotion to a cause, movement, or principle <militant protesters held a rally against racism>. assertive suggests bold self-confidence in expression of opinion <the more assertive speakers dominated the forum>. self-assertive connotes forwardness or brash self-confidence <a self-assertive young executive climbing the corporate ladder>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 of a person: a given to aggression; openly hostile. b forceful; self-assertive. 2 (of an act) offensive, hostile. 3 of aggression. Derivatives: aggressively adv. aggressiveness n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Aggressive Ag*gres"sive, a. [Cf. F. agressif.] Tending or disposed to aggress; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person, nation. -- Ag*gres"sive*ly, adv. -- Ag*gres"sive*ness, n. No aggressive movement was made. --Macaulay.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. An aggressive person or animal has a quality of anger and determination that makes them ready to attack other people. Some children are much more aggressive than others... Aggressive behaviour is a sign of emotional distress. = belligerent ADJ • aggressively They'll react aggressively. ADV • aggressiveness Her aggressiveness made it difficult for him to explain his own feelings. = aggression 2. People who are aggressive in their work or other activities behave in a forceful way because they are very eager to succeed. He is respected as a very aggressive and competitive executive... ADJ • aggressively ...countries noted for aggressively pursuing energy efficiency. ADV: usu ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Attacking, assaulting, assailing, assailant, invading, offensive, prone to be the assailant, inclined to take the initiative.

Moby Thesaurus

abrupt, active, acute, adventuresome, adventurous, ambitious, animated, antagonistic, assertive, battling, bearish, beastly, bellicose, belligerent, bickering, bloodthirsty, bloody, bloody-minded, bluff, blunt, bold, brash, brisk, brusque, cavalier, chauvinist, chauvinistic, churlish, combative, contentious, crusty, curt, disputatious, divisive, domineering, driving, dynamic, enemy, energetic, enterprising, enthusiastic, eristic, factional, factious, ferocious, fierce, fighting, forceful, forcible, forward, full of fight, full of pep, go-ahead, go-go, gruff, hard-hitting, harsh, hawkish, hearty, hostile, hustling, imperious, impetuous, incisive, inimical, intense, irascible, irritable, jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, keen, kinetic, litigious, lively, living, lusty, martial, masterful, mettlesome, militant, militaristic, military, offensive, on the offensive, partisan, peppy, polarizing, polemic, pugnacious, pushful, pushing, pushy, quarrelsome, robust, rough, saber-rattling, sanguinary, sanguineous, savage, scrappy, self-assertive, severe, sharp, short, shrewish, smacking, snappy, snippy, soldierlike, soldierly, spanking, spirited, strenuous, strong, surly, take-charge, take-over, tough, trenchant, trigger-happy, truculent, unfriendly, unpacific, unpeaceable, unpeaceful, up-and-coming, venturesome, venturous, vibrant, vigorous, vivacious, vivid, warlike, warmongering, warring, wrangling, zestful, zesty, zippy