1
as in ambitious
having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal
if you don't take a more aggressive approach to this yard pretty soon, the weeds are going to take over completely
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in militant
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a kindergarten teacher who discourages aggressive behavior, like pushing, by rewarding those children who wait their turn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in violent
marked by or uttered with forcefulness
the team's game strategy depends on a very aggressive style of defense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
For
Try This
aggressive behavior
an aggressive approach
an aggressive treatment
an intense treatment
a vigorous treatment
an accelerated treatment
a rigorous treatment
an extreme treatment
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aggressive
Caesars' protection should inspire new bettors to make a more aggressive wager than usual, knowing a loss means another chance to win cash.
—
Tim Van Straten, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The Harris team has not tried to hide the aggressive effort to boost voter turnout—especially among Black men.
—Philip Eliott / Detroit, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
Should Harris have adopted a more aggressive media strategy?
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024
Joe Gibbs Racing cannot protest the ruling and on Monday morning Christopher Bell threw some shade on social media with a passive aggressive dig that Chevys were in cahoots to advance their own drivers.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aggressive 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggressive
Adjective
-
Directed by great and underrated Johnnie To, this part rom-com, part rom-drama explores a love triangle between Zixin (Gao Yuanyuan), an ambitious office worker, Qihong (Daniel Wu), a heartbroken architect, and Shenran (Louis Koo), a charming financial executive.Travis Bean, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
-
President Joe Biden took an ambitious stance on reducing the nation's contributions to climate change, sending billions of dollars to states for the clean energy transition through his signing of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.JR Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Topline The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant and a high-ranking Hamas official, accusing the three leaders of war crimes during Israel’s war with the militant group.Ty Roush, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
-
The Israel-Hamas war began due to a deadly attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group on Oct. 7, 2023, leaving nearly 1,200 people dead.Tara Suter, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The abuse and neglect have long-lasting effects on an already vulnerable population and have even led to the conviction of some employees for violent crimes, the report says.Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
-
The Taliban's violent suppression of criticism, along with draconian crackdowns on women's rights, meant journalists who stayed in Afghanistan were at constant risk of being detained, tortured, disappeared or killed.Trisha Mukherjee, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Mistakes are commonplace in the chaos and horror of a battlefield, yet this openness and candor is rare from troops who a year earlier would have spoken with fierce pride about Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk region.Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
-
Even harder than acting fairly and impartially would be appearing to have done so, in a conflict that stirs fierce passions the world over.Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Oasis endured a hostile split in 2009, after years of headlines related to the Gallagher siblings’ fierce rivalry.Sophie Williams, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
-
As Assad’s government teetered on the brink of collapse, Hezbollah stepped in decisively to safeguard the regime and prevent the emergence of a new regime in Damascus that would be hostile to the axis.Renad Mansour, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Most were evident when Newsom was elected governor in 2018, promising vigorous efforts to neutralize them, such as his ridiculous pledge to build 3.5 million units of housing, but most have become even more intractable during his reign.Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
-
You might be involved in sports in a vigorous way today.Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 14 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Beijing’s shift toward a more expansive and assertive form of mercantilist techno-nationalism poses genuine risks to the prosperity and economic security of the United States and others.Scott Kennedy, Foreign Affairs, 26 Nov. 2024
-
Against Utah, Lindholm was far more active and assertive in the bumper.Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Murphy admits the divided board might present a challenge as contentious conversations continue, particularly surrounding a $200 million restructuring plan for the district that involves adding middle schools.Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 22 Nov. 2024
-
That decision would avoid a contentious battle that could end up in court.Jared Gans, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near aggressive
Cite this Entry
“Aggressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggressive. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share