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aggressive behavior
assertive behavior
hostile behavior
belligerent behavior
violent behavior
dominant behavior
an aggressive approach
a proactive approach
a vigorous approach
a strong approach
an active approach
an assertive approach
an aggressive treatment
an intense treatment
a vigorous treatment
an accelerated treatment
a rigorous treatment
an extreme treatment

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective aggressive contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of aggressive are assertive, militant, and self-assertive. While all these words mean "obtrusively energetic especially in pursuing particular goals," aggressive implies a disposition to dominate often in disregard of others' rights or in determined and energetic pursuit of one's ends.

aggressive in his business dealings

When is assertive a more appropriate choice than aggressive?

Although the words assertive and aggressive have much in common, assertive suggests bold self-confidence in expression of opinion.

the more assertive speakers dominated the forum

In what contexts can militant take the place of aggressive?

In some situations, the words militant and aggressive are roughly equivalent. However, militant also implies a fighting disposition but suggests not self-seeking but devotion to a cause, movement, or principle.

militant protesters rallied against the new law

Where would self-assertive be a reasonable alternative to aggressive?

The words self-assertive and aggressive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, self-assertive connotes forwardness or brash self-confidence.

a self-assertive young upstart

Example 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 For accounting positions, recruiters are more likely to use such terms when aggressive financial reporting could benefit the firm. Jonathan Gay, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025 Tallahassee As Florida’s first gambling regulator, Louis Trombetta took an aggressive approach to fantasy sports betting, driving three upstart companies to shut down their games in the state. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 More than 20 current and former staffers cooperated with the two investigations that included complaints against Taylor for what are described as hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, according to the report. Ryan Morik, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2025 The Trump administration is moving forward with several Biden-era antitrust lawsuits, policies and positions, signaling a continued focus on aggressive antitrust enforcement that could spell trouble for Big Tech. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aggressive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggressive
Adjective
  • This represented a major blow to Beijing’s ambitious port diplomacy in the region.
    MATIAS SPEKTOR, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025
  • When speaking at CinemaCon, Mendes announced that all four biopics will be released in April 2028, and paired the ambitious news by bringing out the cast for the Fab Four on stage.
    Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war last month.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Apr. 2025
  • From Myanmar comes the story of a student turned insurgent who joined a militant guerilla group set on overthrowing the country’s military junta.
    The Dial, The Dial, 1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Two weeks ago, a protest by retirees, joined by soccer fans and members of social and political organizations, ended in a violent clash between police and protesters.
    Manuela Castro, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Fast-talking criminals, boxing matches, violent action sequences, car charases, and notable stars (Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan) are all present and accounted for.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Monday night’s fierce winds took it down, damaging the support structures in the process.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The result captures something rarely seen in sports marketing: fierce competitors actively supporting each other’s growth.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.
    Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Bandolero lantanas from Syngenta are bred to have larger flowers, more vigorous growth, and lots of branching on compact plants.
    Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Mar. 2025
  • About 70 percent of the sounds were accompanied by a calm, swaying body movement, while 25 percent came with vigorous thrashing of the head or body.
    Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, Trump’s assertive actions on tariffs and immigration have raised concerns that inflation could return.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The two countries have since been increasing defense and security cooperation as China has become more assertive in the region.
    David Rising and Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These comments seemed to further his feud with the agency following a contentious 2018 Tesla settlement over Musk's tweets that resulted in the Supreme Court declining to hear Musk's arguments against his tweets being monitored by the SEC.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 Mar. 2025
  • And with that, Bob Dylan continued to play electric, despite the contentious crowd.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Aggressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggressive. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.

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