aggressive
/əˈɡresɪv/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈɡresɪv/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈgre-siv/ (ame, mw)
aggressive — adjective
1. ready to threaten, hurt, or fight people because of strong anger.
ready to threaten, hurt, or fight people because of strong anger.
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]
Outside the courthouse, Mina gave the reporter an aggressive answer and stepped closer.
By midnight, the drunk man looked aggressive and kept moving toward the bar staff.
- 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
文法句型
be aggressive toward [person]
be aggressive with [person]
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. using bold, strong action to gain success or an advantage over others.
using bold, strong action to gain success or an advantage over others.
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.
Lena is aggressive in chasing new clients across Southeast Asia.
The bank launched an aggressive campaign to gain young customers.
文法句型
be aggressive in [activity]
aggressive + campaign / pricing / strategy
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. used for a disease that advances fast and becomes hard to control.
used for a disease that advances fast and becomes hard to control.
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.
On Mia's scan, an aggressive tumor had already spread beyond the liver.
At a school checkup, doctors found the boy's aggressive illness early.
- 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
- slow-growing
developing gradually rather than rapidly
文法句型
aggressive + cancer / tumor / disease
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
4. used for medical care that uses powerful methods despite serious side effects.
used for medical care that uses powerful methods despite serious side effects.
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.
The surgeon avoided aggressive surgery because Paul's heart was already weak.
In the ICU, nurses watched for harm from the aggressive therapy.
- conservative
using gentler or more limited treatment first
文法句型
aggressive + treatment / therapy / surgery
用法筆記
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.