agonistic

American  

[ag-uh-nis-tik] / ˌæg əˈnɪs tɪk /

Also agonistical

adjective

1. combative; striving to overcome in argument.

2. straining for effect.

   agonistic humor.

3. of or relating to ancient Greek athletic contests.

4. Ethology. pertaining to the range of activities associated with aggressive encounters between members of the same species, including threat, attack, appeasement, or retreat.

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agonistic British  

/ ˌæɡəˈnɪstɪk /

adjective

1. striving for effect; strained

2. eager to win in discussion or argument; competitive

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Other Word Forms

• agonistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of agonistic

1640–50; < Greek agōnistikós, equivalent to agōnist ( ḗs ) agonist + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

These vocalisations were of the affiliative type, i.e. linked to a positive interaction, or of the agonistic type, i.e. linked to a threat or distress.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2023

About 31 percent of Latino Democrats are not religiously affiliated, which includes those that identify as atheist, agonistic or “nothing in particular,” while 27 percent of Latino Republicans are unaffiliated.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

"When we looked at this factor that we called agonistic threshold, which included a lot of questions about whether people's dogs reacted aggressively to things, we weren't seeing an effective breed ancestry," Karlsson said.

From Salon • May 4, 2022

But I would say that most of my influences are positive rather than agonistic.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 3, 2019

A dummy Bell Vireo elicited both agonistic and epigamic behavior from nesting pairs, depending on the phase of the nesting cycle.

From Natural History of the Bell Vireo, Vireo bellii Audubon by Barlow, Jon C.