aggressive
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing.
aggressive acts against a neighboring country.
- Synonyms:
- militant, pugnacious
- Antonyms:
- friendly
-
making an all-out effort to win or succeed; competitive.
an aggressive basketball player.
- Synonyms:
- assertive, enterprising, forceful
-
vigorously energetic, especially in the use of initiative and forcefulness.
an aggressive salesperson.
-
boldly assertive and forward; pushy.
an aggressive driver.
-
emphasizing maximum growth and capital gains over quality, security, and income.
an aggressive mutual fund.
-
Medicine/Medical.
-
(of a disease or tumor) growing or spreading rapidly; highly invasive; difficult or impossible to treat successfully.
aggressive brain lesions.
-
pertaining to a risky surgery or treatment, or to a medication that has grave side effects.
aggressive chemotherapy.
-
-
(of a plant) spreading more rapidly than is desirable; tending to spread where not wanted.
The joe-pye weed may be too aggressive to contain in the small area you’ve designated.
adjective
-
quarrelsome or belligerent
an aggressive remark
-
assertive; vigorous
an aggressive business executive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of aggressive
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Late Latin aggressīvus, derivative of Latin aggressus, past participle of aggredī “to go to, approach, attack”
Explanation
Someone or something aggressive shows a lot of energy and has a strong impact. After the aggressive salesman stopped them again on their way through the mall, the couple got aggressive and replied in a loud, made-up foreign language until he went away. Being aggressive often means being physical or showing force, but it is equally powerful as an adjective reflecting a forceful determination to get something done. An aggressive football player may tackle everyone in sight to get a win, while a driven student might tackle a project or problem head-on with aggressive determination to improve their grade. Aggressive comes from the Latin aggress-, "attack," and being aggressive shows an intention to attack bodily, mentally, or verbally whatever gets in the way.
Vocabulary lists containing aggressive
The Hate U Give
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In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Aggressive AI infrastructure spending is projected to reach a 34% capital expenditure-to-sales ratio this year.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
“Risk is rising, especially for smaller banks: Aggressive growth and competition could weaken underwriting standards and elevate credit risk,” the authors of the Moody’s report wrote.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026
Aggressive and revolutionary from the start, Iran’s regime has hardened into what the historian Ali M. Ansari calls an “Islamic security state.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
When he returned, it was with the standalone single Aggressive.
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
I wake to the sound of girls screaming, “Be Aggressive, BE-BE Aggressive! B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!”
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
