aggression

noun

ə-ˈgre-shən How to pronounce aggression (audio)
Definition of aggressionnext
1
as in aggressiveness
an inclination to fight or quarrel though the dogs have a reputation for aggression, many of their owners insist they make gentle pets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence diplomats warned that any aggression by either side could easily turn into a full-scale war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of aggression Qualifying crimes under the Rome Statute include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Their first goal against Rayo showed how their aggression without the ball can lead to chances. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 The United States must therefore carefully balance the need to de-risk against the need to deter aggression. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Game fowl are bred for aggression by definition, said Jenny Berg, California state director of the Humane World for Animals, which worked with Rogers on the bill. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for aggression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggression
  1. aggressiveness
  2. attack
  3. hostility
  4. assault
  5. defiance
  6. offensive
  7. belligerence
  8. offense
Noun
  • The salaries match, Strus is an expiring contract while Niko has four years left and the 3-point shooting and the aggressiveness of Max are way better than Niko’s.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This could bring up feelings of resentment, competitiveness or passive aggressiveness, especially if there’s been something simmering in the background.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Just like Ejva, who suddenly needs to learn how to protect the herd and make her family proud, even when a violent attack leaves her struggling.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Funding for refugee support is drying up, hostility toward Ukrainians is growing, and Poland still lacks a long-term integration strategy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Iran accepted meaningful limits on its nuclear program in 2015, for instance, and reversed decades of hostility toward Saudi Arabia by normalizing ties in 2023.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostility
Noun
  • He has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, the department said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Castro is charged in Minnesota with assault and falsely reporting a crime in the January 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • Since then, mayoral defiance of the legal obligations to enforce the council’s budget has left the city financially short of that modest projection.
    — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That defiance underscores the central gamble of Washington’s strategy.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has sued several states that have tried to treat prediction market sites as a form of gambling, a type of legal offensive the agency has never before embarked on.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • More than four decades ago, after months of setbacks in the war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, thousands of young Iranian troops launched a surprise offensive that turned the tide.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Noun
  • Other possible signs of Putin’s growing belligerence have emerged.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Install one specific buffer this week that protects the behavior from being extinguished or twisted into belligerence.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of belligerence
Noun
  • Xavier Pratt scored the touchdown that finally jump-started Homewood-Flossmoor’s offense after a slow start.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The ruling suggests that the criminal offense would apply when materials are simply available on a library shelf.
    — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of offense

Browse Nearby Words

aggregations
aggression
aggressions
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Cite this Entry

“Aggression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggression. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on aggression

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aggression

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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