aggressing
Starting a fight
Aggressing is engaging in aggression—initiating hostile or attacking behavior toward someone or something.
The word appears mostly in formal or academic contexts: The study examined which animals were aggressing and which were being aggressed against.
In everyday speech, people more often say attacking or being aggressive.
Violent offensive act
- offensiveCausing displeasure or attack-oriented
- raidSudden armed incursion
- strikeForceful impact or stoppage
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
incursion · invasion · onslaught · charge · storming · overrun · sortie · foray
Urging others to act
- tauntingInsulting to provoke
- goadingInciting through persistent pressure
- instigatingPrompting action to begin
- baitingDeliberately trying to provoke
antagonizing · needling · prodding · inflaming · agitating · fomenting · stirring · rousing
Aggressive repeated intimidation
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- coercingForcing through intimidation
- terrorizingInstilling extreme fear
harassing · pressuring · domineering · browbeating · strong-arming · hectoring · cowing · steamrolling
Active, bitter hostility
- antagonismActive opposition or hostility
- belligerenceWarlike aggression
- enmityBitter, lasting ill will
- maliceIntent to cause harm
rancor · spite · venom · acrimony · ill-will · pugnacity · truculence · combativeness
Violent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
- altercationHeated verbal dispute
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- standoffUnresolved confrontation between opponents
face-off · engagement · encounter · struggle · opposition · contention · friction · tension
assault
Violent offensive act
- offensiveCausing displeasure or attack-oriented
- raidSudden armed incursion
- strikeForceful impact or stoppage
ambush · incursion · invasion · onslaught · charge · storming · overrun · sortie · foray · thrust
inciting
Urging others to act
- tauntingInsulting to provoke
- goadingInciting through persistent pressure
- instigatingPrompting action to begin
baiting · antagonizing · needling · prodding · inflaming · agitating · fomenting · stirring · rousing
bullying
Aggressive repeated intimidation
- menacingConveying threat or danger
- threateningExpressing intent to harm
- coercingForcing through intimidation
terrorizing · harassing · pressuring · domineering · browbeating · strong-arming · hectoring · cowing · steamrolling · railroading
animosity
Active, bitter hostility
- antagonismActive opposition or hostility
- belligerenceWarlike aggression
- enmityBitter, lasting ill will
malice · rancor · spite · venom · acrimony · ill-will · pugnacity · truculence · combativeness · bellicosity
clash
Violent disagreement or collision
- conflictOpposition between parties
- altercationHeated verbal dispute
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
standoff · face-off · engagement · encounter · struggle · opposition · contention · friction · tension · disagreement
aggressingdefending
Protecting against harm
protecting · guarding · shielding · safeguarding · parrying
aggressingpeacekeeping
Preventing or ending conflict
pacifying · making peace · reconciling · appeasing · conciliating
aggressingretreating
Moving back from advance
withdrawing · fleeing · falling back · yielding · surrendering
- passive aggressiveIndirectly expressing resentment
- aggressive driverHostile motorist on highways
- aggressive behaviorHostile or threatening conduct
- non-aggression pactAgreement to avoid conflict
- aggressive treatmentForceful medical intervention
- aggressive marketingForceful promotional methods
aggressive, aggression, aggressively, aggressiveness, unaggressive, nonaggression, overaggressive, microaggression, passive-aggressive