aggression

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aggression

an unprovoked offensive, attack, or invasion; an encroachment: an aggression upon civil rights; overt or suppressed hostility

Not to be confused with:

egression – egress; a going out

ag·gres·sion

(ə-grĕsh′ən)

1a. Hostile or destructive behavior or attitudes: physical aggression; verbal aggression; emotional aggression.

b. Forceful, assertive, or overbearing behavior or attitudes: the aggression of a bold advertising campaign.

2. The practice or habit of taking hostile actions or launching military attacks: imperial aggression.

3. A hostile act or military attack: aggressions that led to full-scale war.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

aggression

(əˈɡrɛʃən)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) an attack or harmful action, esp an unprovoked attack by one country against another

2. any offensive activity, practice, etc: an aggression against personal liberty.

3. (Psychology) psychol a hostile or destructive mental attitude or behaviour

[C17: from Latin aggression-, from aggrēdi to attack]

aggressor n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ag•gres•sion

(əˈgrɛʃ ən)

n.

1. the action of a state in violating by force the rights of another state, particularly its territorial rights.

2. any offensive action, attack, or procedure; an inroad or encroachment.

3. the practice of making assaults or attacks; offensive action in general.

4. hostility toward or attack upon another, whether overt, verbal, or gestural.

[1605–15; < Latin aggressiō; see aggress, -tion]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	aggression - a disposition to behave aggressively unfriendliness - an unfriendly disposition
	2.	aggression - a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack aggressiveness ill will, enmity, hostility - the feeling of a hostile person; "he could no longer contain his hostility"
	3.	aggression - violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked hostility action - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" meat grinder - any action resulting in injury or destruction; "the meat grinder of politics destroyed his reputation"; "allied forces crumbled before the Wehrmacht meat grinder" violence, force - an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists); "he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one" pillaging, plundering, pillage - the act of stealing valuable things from a place; "the plundering of the Parthenon"; "his plundering of the great authors"
	4.	aggression - the act of initiating hostilities armed combat, combat - an engagement fought between two military forces war, warfare - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war"
	5.	aggression - deliberately unfriendly behavior behavior, conduct, doings, behaviour - manner of acting or controlling yourself provocation, aggravation, irritation - unfriendly behavior that causes anger or resentment bitchery - aggressive remarks and behavior like that of a spiteful malicious woman bullying, intimidation - the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something hell raising, raising hell - making trouble just for the fun of it self-assertion - the act of asserting yourself in an aggressive manner

aggression

noun

1. hostility, malice, antagonism, antipathy, aggressiveness, ill will, belligerence, destructiveness, malevolence, pugnacity Aggression is by no means a male-only trait.

2. attack, campaign, injury, assault, offence, raid, invasion, offensive, onslaught, foray, encroachment the threat of massive military aggression

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

aggression

noun

1. The act of attacking:

assailment, assault, attack, attempt, offense, offensive, onrush, onset, onslaught, strike.

2. Hostile behavior:

aggressiveness, belligerence, belligerency, combativeness, contentiousness, hostility, militance, militancy.

Translations

عُدْوَان، إعْتِدَاء

agreseútok

aggression

Aggression Angriff

επιθετικότητα

agresión

agression assaut attaque

agresija

agresszió

ágengni, árásargirni

aggressione aggressivamente aggressivo aggressore

agressie agressiviteit

agresia

aggression

[əˈgreʃən] N

1. (= behaviour) → agresión f
an act of aggression → un acto de agresión

2. (= feeling) → agresividad f
aggression is not a solely masculine trait → la agresividad no es una característica únicamente masculina

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

aggression

[əˈgrɛʃ^ən] n

(= attack) → agression f
an act of aggression → un acte d'agression

[person, behaviour] → agressivité f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

aggression

(= attack) → Aggression f, → Angriff m; an act of aggression → ein Angriff m, → eine aggressive Handlung

no pl → Aggression f; (= aggressiveness) → Aggressivität f; to get rid of one’s aggression → seine Aggressionen loswerden

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

aggression

[əˈgrɛʃ/ən] n → aggressione f; (aggressiveness) → aggressività

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

aggressive

(əˈgresiv) adjective

ready to attack or oppose; quarrelsome. He's a most aggressive boy – he is always fighting at school.

agˈgressively adverb

agˈgressiveness noun

agˈgression (-ʃən) noun

(a feeling of) hostility.

agˈgressor noun

(in a war etc) the party which attacks first.

ag·gres·sion

n. agresión, actitud y acción hostil.

aggression

n agresión f, hostilidad f

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References in classic literature ?

Yesterday I learned that, despite the loyalty which I have kept my engagements with Your Majesty, your troops have crossed the Russian frontier, and I have this moment received from Petersburg a note, in which Count Lauriston informs me, as a reason for this aggression, that Your Majesty has considered yourself to be in a state of war with me from the time Prince Kuragin asked for his passports.

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"Yes, I understand," said the District Attorney; "you committed the aggression - you were compelled to, as it were.

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Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas.

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Knightley might be preserved from sinking deeper in aggression towards Mr.

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In this manner did Prince John endeavour to lay the foundation of a popularity, which he was perpetually throwing down by some inconsiderate act of wanton aggression upon the feelings and prejudices of the people.

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Debray," said the banker, "do not kill yourself to-night listening to the follies of Madame Danglars, for you can hear them as well to-morrow; but I claim to-night and will devote it, if you will allow me, to talk over some serious matters with my wife." This time the blow was so well aimed, and hit so directly, that Lucien and the baroness were staggered, and they interrogated each other with their eyes, as if to seek help against this aggression, but the irresistible will of the master of the house prevailed, and the husband was victorious.

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We should make war with the aggression on our side, we should make it, deserving to have it made against us, and we should have the appearance of fearing it whilst provoking it, for a permission granted to five hundred men, to two hundred men, to fifty men, to ten men, is still a permission.

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The mob hitherto had been passive spectators of the scene, but as the intelligence of the Pickwickians being informers was spread among them, they began to canvass with considerable vivacity the propriety of enforcing the heated pastry-vendor's proposition: and there is no saying what acts of personal aggression they might have committed, had not the affray been unexpectedly terminated by the interposition of a new-comer.

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It came upon him nearer now, quite as one of those expanding fantastic images projected by the magic lantern of childhood; for the stranger, whoever he might be, evil, odious, blatant, vulgar, had advanced as for aggression, and he knew himself give ground.

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Boythorn maintained a sentry in a smock-frock day and night, whose duty was supposed to be, in cases of aggression, immediately to ring a large bell hung up there for the purpose, to unchain a great bull-dog established in a kennel as his ally, and generally to deal destruction on the enemy.

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Newman had been accompanied on his present errand by a slight sentiment, I will not say of defiance--a readiness for aggression or defense, as they might prove needful--but of reflection, good-humored suspicion.

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The national passion for aggression found in him its supreme exponent, and achieved through him its realisation in this astounding war.