Aggressiveness

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Aggressive \Ag*gres"sive\, a. [Cf. F. agressif.]
     1. Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing
        determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at
        the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or
        desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults;
        unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person,


        nation; an aggressive businessman; an aggressive
        basketball player; he was aggressive and imperious in his
        convictions; aggressive drivers. Opposite of
        {unaggressive}.
        [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
  
              No aggressive movement was made.      --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Marked by self-confident ambition, vigorous
        competitiveness, energy and initiative; as, an aggressive
        young executive.
  
     Syn: enterprising, pushful, pushing, pushy
          [WordNet 1.5]
  
     3. (Med., Biol.) Tending to grow or spread quickly; as, an
        aggressive tumor. [Narrower terms: {invasive (vs.
        noninvasive) ] --AS
  
     Syn: fast-growing(prenominal)
          [WordNet 1.5]
  
     4. Tending to initiate unprovoked attacks; initiating
        unprovoked military action; eager to fight; as, aggressive
        acts against another country.
  
     Syn: belligerent.
          [WordNet 1.5]
  
     Note: Narrower related terms: {bellicose, combative,
           pugnacious, scrappy, truculent ; {hard-hitting,
           high-pressure ; {hostile} (used of attempts to buy or
           take control of a business: "hostile takeover";
           "hostile tender offer"); {predatory, rapacious,
           raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturous . See also:
           assertive, hostile, offensive.
           [WordNet 1.5] -- {Ag*gres"sive*ly}, adv. --
           {Ag*gres"sive*ness}, n.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  aggressiveness
       n 1: the quality of being bold and enterprising
       2: a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack [syn:
           {aggression}]
       3: a disposition to fight [syn: {contentiousness}, {belligerence},
           {pugnacity}, {quarrelsomeness}]