assertive
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What doesĀ assertive mean?
Assertive commonly means confident and direct when trying to get what one wants or saying what one wants to say. It can also mean aggressive, forceful, or having a tendency to make demands.
These two meanings are typically applied to people, their personalities, or their actions. Assertive is sometimes also applied to food to mean having a bold flavor.
Example: If you want your work to be noticed, you have to be more assertiveāyou canāt just sit quietly at every meeting.
Where doesĀ assertive come from?
The first records of the word assertive come from the mid-1500s. It comes from the Latin assertus, meaning ādefendedā or āclaimed.ā Assertive can be thought of as the adjective version of the verb assert, which means āto maintain or defendā (as in phrases like assert your rights or assert their dominance), but assertive has actually been in use for longer than assert.
Assertive is often used to describe a confident personās personality. People who are assertive are confident, they speak up for themselves, and they take charge. But that doesnāt mean theyāre seen as aggressive. When described with this sense of the word, they are thought to be able to get their point across without being overly forceful. This sense of assertive is the opposite of passive and it is generally used in a positive way.
But sometimes assertive is used in a negative way to mean āaggressive,ā āforceful,ā or ādemanding.ā Someone might be described in this way if they constantly assert their opinions or beliefs, especially without allowing anyone to question them or without letting others state their own.
When used to describe food and drink, assertive means something has a real kick to itāthe opposite of bland. Red wine and strong cheeses are two things whose flavors are frequently called assertive.
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What are some other forms related to assertive?
- assert (verb)
- assertively (adverb)
- assertiveness (noun)
- nonassertive (adjective)
- assertion (noun)
What are some synonyms for assertive?
What are some words that share a root or word element with assertive?Ā
What are some words that often get used in discussing assertive?
How isĀ assertive used in real life?
Assertive can be used both positively (meaning āconfidentā) and negatively (meaning āaggressiveā).
Iāve been told more than once by men Iāve dated that my personality is super chill. Iāve also been told Iām too chill and thatās probably why Iām single. Knowing me, I kinda agree with the logic.
Iāve been more assertive lately and itās been great!
— B (@blaire_erialb) March 5, 2020
With millions of people having become assertive and vocal abt betrayals, demands,aspirations & solutions, the Earth may prove 2 small 4 us!
— Nasim Zehra (@NasimZehra) February 18, 2015
Blue #cheese. Chile #peppers. @CarrValley takes these 2 ingredients – each with a fairly assertive flavor on its own – & combines them: [1] pic.twitter.com/2e8crcbYsu
— Zin The Phoenix (@ZinThePhoenix) January 8, 2017
Try usingĀ assertive!
Which of the following is NOT a synonym for assertive?
A. insecure
B. confident
C. persistent
D. self-assured