aggressive adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of aggressive adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

aggressive

adjective
 
/əˈɡresɪv/
 
/əˈɡresɪv/
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  1. angry, and behaving in a threatening way; ready to attack
    • Seals have been known to exhibit aggressive behaviour towards swimmers.
    • He became increasingly aggressive as the evening wore on.
    • There's no need to get aggressive.
    • aggressive towards somebody She warned that her dog was aggressive towards strangers.
    see also passive-aggressive
    Extra Examples
    • a dangerous aggressive dog
    • That was an unnecessarily aggressive response.
    • Her mood became openly aggressive when his name was mentioned.
    • Can watching violence on TV make children more aggressive?
    • As a teenager George was aggressive and moody.
    • It is important at all times to discourage aggressive behaviour in young children.
    Topics Feelingsb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • seem
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • towards/​toward
    • with
    See full entry
  2. (sometimes disapproving) determined and acting with force in order to succeed
    • a very aggressive advertising campaign
    • aggressive in something We need to get more aggressive in our approach.
    • aggressive in doing something The firm is extremely aggressive in seeking new markets.
    Extra Examples
    • A good salesperson has to be aggressive in today's competitive market.
    • I was put off by his aggressive sales pitch.
    • He thrilled the crowd with his aggressive driving style on the track.
    • the company's highly aggressive marketing techniques
    Topics Successb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • seem
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • towards/​toward
    • with
    See full entry
  3. (of a disease) developing quickly and difficult to treat
    • Doctors diagnosed her with a rare and aggressive cancer, which was feared to be incurable.
    Topics Health problemsc2
  4. (of medical treatment) using all possible treatment options in order to extend somebody’s life
    • Nicholas was diagnosed with the rare disease in November and has undergone aggressive treatments since then.
    Topics Healthcarec2
  5. Word Originearly 19th cent.: from Latin aggress- ‘attacked’ (from the verb aggredi) + -ive; compare with French agressif, -ive.
See aggressive in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee aggressive in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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