aggressively

American  

[uh-gres-iv-lee] / əˈgrɛs ɪv li /

adverb

1. in an aggressive, militant, or menacing manner.

   The orders were to root out the entrenched rebels, swiftly and aggressively.

2. in a highly competitive manner; with an aggressive effort to win.

   The series was aggressively played by both teams.

3. in a vigorously or forcefully enterprising manner; ambitiously.

   an aggressively marketed line of cosmetics.

4. in a pushy or boldly assertive manner.

   They continue to lobby aggressively for a safer workplace.

5. Medicine/Medical.

   1. (of a disease’s or tumor’s viability) in a rapid and vigorous, highly invasive manner.

      The cancer has aggressively branched out to his lower intestine.

   2. in a highly potent, therapeutic, but risky manner, intended to destroy malignancy.

      Can the treatment aggressively target the tumor without harming healthy tissue?

6. (of a plant’s growth habit) with an undesirable tendency to spread rapidly, especially where unwanted.

   Wild lotuses have aggressively flourished in both ponds, much to the dismay of local canoeists.

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Other Word Forms

• nonaggressively adverb
• overaggressively adverb
• unaggressively adverb

Etymology

Origin of aggressively

First recorded in 1790–95; aggressive ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

And fruity martinis fit perfectly into this cultural moment: drinks that feel like cocktails but don’t taste aggressively alcoholic.

From Salon

The Chinese shopping-and-delivery platform has been aggressively offering discounts to attract customers, a move seen as necessary to defend its market share.

From The Wall Street Journal

Big brands hiked prices on handbags more aggressively than for jewelry.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the pandemic, when the Fed aggressively bought debt in an effort to prop up the economy, yields on 10-year notes were less than 1%.

From Barron's

“My Office will pursue this case aggressively to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for this senseless and deadly violence.”

From Los Angeles Times