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
- aggressively adverb
- aggressiveness noun
- aggressivity noun
- antiaggressive adjective
- hyperaggressive adjective
- overaggressive adjective
- overaggressiveness noun
- superaggressive adjective
- unaggressive adjective
- unaggressiveness noun
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”
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.
The Ipidea spokeswoman previously told the Journal the company “once adopted relatively aggressive market expansion strategies,” but later tightened up its business practices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Our preferred approach for aggressive traders who have the resources is to implement a risk-reversal strategy.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
It has a faint, almost red-hot intensity; it’s not aggressive, but assertive.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
After a week getting steroids and pain medicine at Providence St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, he received the biopsy results: an extremely aggressive malignant mass was blocking blood flow to Duong’s optic nerve.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
Grandma was a force of nature—impatient, aggressive, self-possessed.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
