aggressive

adjective

ag·​gres·​sive ə-ˈgre-siv How to pronounce aggressive (audio)
1
a
: tending toward or exhibiting aggression
aggressive behavior
b
: marked by combative readiness
an aggressive fighter
2
a
: marked by obtrusive energy and self-assertiveness
a rude, aggressive personality
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
Choose the Right Synonym for aggressive

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.

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 rallied against the new law

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 upstart

Examples of aggressive in a Sentence

He started to get aggressive and began to shout. an aggressive lawyer whose tactics have made people angry The team plays a very aggressive style of defense. The company took aggressive steps to prevent illegal use of their equipment. The publisher has been very aggressive in promoting the book. The city began an aggressive campaign to encourage recycling. an aggressive form of cancer
Recent Examples on the Web The Bank of Japan scrapped the world’s last negative interest rate, ending the most aggressive monetary stimulus program in modern history, while also indicating that financial conditions will stay accommodative for now. Toru Fujioka, Fortune Asia, 19 Mar. 2024 At the time, Balti was just a few years shy of 39, the age at which one of her paternal aunts had died from an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024 Trian says Disney pursued streaming subscribers with an overly aggressive pricing scheme ($7 a month was too low), a point that Iger himself has already admitted. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Altogether, the Giants were the fifth-least aggressive team in those situations, according to Statcast. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 But few places are as aggressive as Riverside County in prosecuting people who supply fatal doses of the drug. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 What’s important to remember, however, is that the fish won’t be overly aggressive. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 Companies large enough to buy TikTok like Meta, Google and Microsoft would probably not attempt to do so because of the Biden administration’s aggressive use of antitrust law to prevent the tech giants from getting even larger. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 That type of cancer is aggressive and fast-moving, Munn noted. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aggressive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin aggressīvus, from Latin aggressus, past participle of aggredī "to step up to, approach, attack" + -īvus -ive — more at aggress

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of aggressive was in 1716

Dictionary Entries Near aggressive

Cite this Entry

“Aggressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggressive. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aggressive

adjective
ag·​gres·​sive ə-ˈgres-iv How to pronounce aggressive (audio)
1
a
: showing readiness to attack
an aggressive dog
b
: practicing aggression
an aggressive nation
2
: being forceful in getting things done
an aggressive sales campaign
3
: growing, developing, or spreading rapidly
aggressive weeds
aggressively adverb
aggressiveness noun

Medical Definition

aggressive

adjective
ag·​gres·​sive ə-ˈgres-iv How to pronounce aggressive (audio)
1
: tending toward or exhibiting aggression
aggressive behavior
2
: growing, developing, or spreading rapidly
aggressive bone tumors
3
: more severe, intensive, or comprehensive than usual especially in dosage or extent
aggressive chemotherapy
aggressive surgical intervention
compare conservative
aggressively adverb
aggressiveness noun
aggressivity noun
plural aggressivities

More from Merriam-Webster on aggressive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!