aggressive
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.behaving in an angry or violent way towards others.
adj.characterised by physical or verbal hostility; prone to unprovoked attacks or confrontation.
Simple“The dog became aggressive whenever a stranger walked past the garden fence.”
In context“The suspect's aggressive behaviour toward the officers necessitated a formal de-escalation procedure before the interview could proceed.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.using a lot of effort and force to get what you want or to win.
adj.marked by driving energy or initiative; pursuing goals with forceful or competitive methods.
Simple“The company launched an aggressive marketing campaign to win new customers.”
In context“To secure a dominant market share, the startup adopted an aggressive pricing strategy that undercut its more established competitors.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.involving a lot of risk in order to make a large profit.
adj.characterised by high-risk investment strategies aimed at maximising capital appreciation.
Simple“He chose an aggressive investment plan because he wanted his money to grow quickly.”
In context“The fund manager recommended an aggressive portfolio heavily weighted toward emerging tech stocks, despite the inherent volatility of that sector.”
Antonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.describing a disease that spreads very fast through the body.
adj.tending to spread quickly and severely; virulent or malignant in progression.
Simple“The doctors started treatment immediately because it was an aggressive form of cancer.”
In context“The patient was diagnosed with an aggressive bacterial infection that required intravenous antibiotics and constant monitoring.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who behaves in a violent or forceful way.
n.an individual who initiates a confrontation or displays habitual hostility.
Simple“In this conflict, it was difficult to tell who the original aggressive was.”
In context“The treaty was designed to penalise the aggressive by imposing strict economic sanctions on any nation that crossed the border.”
Usage aggressive front-foot
“Craig Mulholland, the Scottish FA's chief football officer, said Pocognoli "will bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters", adding that Scotland are aiming to "evolve from a position of strength".”
“Craig Mulholland, the SFA’s chief football suit, said Pocognoli “will bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters”.”
From aggress + -ive. Compare with French agressif.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.