- bellicose combative pugnacious scrappy truculent
- Aggressive Ag*gres"sive, a. [Cf. F. agressif.]
1. Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing
determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at
the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or
desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults;
unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person,
nation; an aggressive businessman; an aggressive
basketball player; he was aggressive and imperious in his
convictions; aggressive drivers. Opposite of
{unaggressive}.
[1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
No aggressive movement was made. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
2. marked by self-confident ambition, competitiveness, energy and initiative; as, an aggressive young executive.
Syn: enterprising, pushful, pushing, pushy [WordNet 1.5]
3. 1 (Med., Biol.) tending to spread quickly an aggressive tumor [Narrower terms: {invasive (vs. noninvasive) ]
Syn: fast-growing(prenominal) [WordNet 1.5]
4. characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight aggressive acts against another country
Syn: belligerent [WordNet 1.5]
Note: Narrower related terms: {bellicose, combative, pugnacious, scrappy, truculent ; {hard-hitting, high-pressure ; {hostile} (used of attempts to buy or take control of a business: "hostile takeover"; "hostile tender offer"); {predatory, rapacious, raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturous . See also: assertive, hostile, offensive. [WordNet 1.5] -- {Ag*gres"sive*ly}, adv. -- {Ag*gres"sive*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.