aggressive

aggressive — adjective

1. ready to threaten, hurt, or fight people because of strong anger.

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

ready to threaten, hurt, or fight people because of strong anger.

Example

The customer became aggressive when the clerk refused a cash refund.

become aggressive when challenged

The horse grew aggressive toward strangers near the stable gate.

pattern: aggressive toward [person]

Common collocations
  • aggressive behavior
  • aggressive dog
  • aggressive answer
  • aggressive toward strangers
Synonyms
  • hostile

    slightly broader; can describe unfriendly feelings without physical attack

  • threatening

    focuses on making others feel in danger

  • combative

    more formal; often about being ready to argue or fight

Antonyms
  • calm

    not angry or ready to attack

  • friendly

    showing warmth rather than hostility

Grammar Patterns

be aggressive toward [person]

be aggressive with [person]

Usage Note

Often used with toward or with when naming the target of the anger. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about hostility to people, not a forceful plan for success.

Common Mistakes

The puppy was aggressive for the mailman.
The puppy was aggressive toward the mailman.
this sense usually takes toward when you name the person or animal receiving the hostility.

2. using bold, strong action to gain success or an advantage over others.

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

using bold, strong action to gain success or an advantage over others.

Example

The startup used aggressive pricing to win buyers before summer.

collocation: aggressive pricing

At the meeting, the manager demanded an aggressive plan for the first quarter.

Common collocations
  • aggressive pricing
  • aggressive campaign
  • aggressive marketing
  • aggressive expansion
Synonyms
  • forceful

    neutral-to-negative; stresses strong action

  • assertive

    less negative; clear and confident without necessarily pushing too hard

  • pushy

    more informal and more critical than aggressive

  • ambitious

    focuses on wanting success, not on the strong method used

Antonyms
  • cautious

    careful and not willing to push hard

  • passive

    not taking strong action to get results

Grammar Patterns

be aggressive in [activity]

aggressive + campaign / pricing / strategy

Usage Note

Often used for plans, campaigns, pricing, and sales methods. It can sound slightly negative, suggesting someone pushes harder than people expect. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about drive for results, not open anger.

Common Mistakes

The company was aggressive to enter Brazil.
The company was aggressive in entering Brazil.
this sense often uses aggressive in doing something for a forceful business move.

3. used for a disease that advances fast and becomes hard to control.

3.adjectiveC2
Definition

used for a disease that advances fast and becomes hard to control.

Example

Tests showed that Leila had an aggressive form of bone cancer.

aggressive + cancer / tumor / disease

After the fever rose, doctors called the infection aggressive and started treatment that night.

Common collocations
  • aggressive cancer
  • aggressive tumor
  • aggressive disease
  • aggressive infection
Synonyms
  • fast-growing

    emphasizes speed of growth, especially with tumors

  • severe

    broader; may describe seriousness without the idea of rapid spread

  • virulent

    more technical; especially for infections or diseases that are very harmful

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

aggressive + cancer / tumor / disease

Usage Note

Usually appears before nouns like cancer, tumor, disease, or infection. It describes the illness itself. Distinguish from sense 4, which describes the strength of the treatment.

Common Mistakes

The doctor chose aggressive cancer for her.
The doctor said she had aggressive cancer.
this sense describes the disease, not the doctor's action.

4. used for medical care that uses powerful methods despite serious side effects.

4.adjectiveC2
Definition

used for medical care that uses powerful methods despite serious side effects.

Example

Doctors recommended aggressive treatment after the scan showed cancer in both lungs.

aggressive treatment / therapy

Her family agreed to aggressive chemotherapy before the disease reached the brain.

Common collocations
  • aggressive treatment
  • aggressive chemotherapy
  • aggressive surgery
  • aggressive therapy
Synonyms
  • intensive

    common in medicine; stresses close and strong medical action

  • radical

    suggests very strong treatment, often with major consequences

  • strong

    plain-language choice; less technical than intensive

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

aggressive + treatment / therapy / surgery

Usage Note

Usually modifies treatment, therapy, surgery, or chemotherapy. The focus is the doctor's strong response and its risks, not the speed of the disease in sense 3.

Common Mistakes

She received aggressive because the cancer spread quickly.
She received aggressive treatment because the cancer spread quickly.
this sense usually appears before a treatment noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

For sense 2, aggressive is stronger than assertive. An assertive person says what they want clearly and confidently, but still stays within normal limits. An aggressive person or company pushes hard and may care less about comfort, fairness, or balance. Ambitious is different again: it tells you someone wants success, but not how they go after it. Pushy is more informal and usually more critical, especially for people rather than business plans. In business English, aggressive can sound energetic or slightly disapproving, depending on context. Compare: She was assertive in the meeting, but not aggressive. The startup used an aggressive pricing plan to grab market share.

aggressive ↗assertive ↗ambitious ↗pushy ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English began using aggressive in the early 1800s. It grew from Latin aggressus, the past form of aggredi, meaning "go toward" or "attack", and it was also shaped by the French form agressif. The oldest sense was about direct attack, and later the word widened to describe forceful action in business and strong methods in medicine.