AGGRESSION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does aggression mean? 

• AGGRESSION (noun)
  The noun AGGRESSION has 5 senses:

1. a disposition to behave aggressively

2. a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack

3. violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked

4. the act of initiating hostilities

5. deliberately unfriendly behavior

  Familiarity information: AGGRESSION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AGGRESSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disposition to behave aggressively

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("aggression" is a kind of...):

unfriendliness (an unfriendly disposition)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

aggression; aggressiveness

Hypernyms ("aggression" is a kind of...):

enmity; hostility; ill will (the feeling of a hostile person)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

aggression; hostility

Hypernyms ("aggression" is a kind of...):

action (something done (usually as opposed to something said))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "aggression"):

meat grinder (any action resulting in injury or destruction)

force; violence (an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists))

pillage; pillaging; plundering (the act of stealing valuable things from a place)

Derivation:

aggress (take the initiative and go on the offensive)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The act of initiating hostilities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("aggression" is a kind of...):

armed combat; combat (an engagement fought between two military forces)

Holonyms ("aggression" is a part of...):

war; warfare (the waging of armed conflict against an enemy)

Derivation:

aggress (take the initiative and go on the offensive)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Deliberately unfriendly behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("aggression" is a kind of...):

behavior; behaviour; conduct; doings (manner of acting or controlling yourself)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "aggression"):

aggravation; irritation; provocation (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)

 Context examples 

These might include: • Intelligence problems, ranging from learning disabilities to severe intellectual disabilities • Social and emotional problems, such as aggression in boys or shyness in girls • Speech and language problems, especially in boys

(Fragile X Syndrome, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Frequency of the agitation/aggression.

(NPI - Agitation/Aggression Frequency, NCI Thesaurus)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Severity of the agitation/aggression.

(NPI - Agitation/Aggression Severity, NCI Thesaurus)

A standard survey tool for assessing the parental resolution of conflict between parents and children, including nonviolent discipline and physical aggression.

(Conflicts Tactics Scale, Parent-Child, NCI Thesaurus)

Additional findings in the study suggest a potential link between lactate use and cancer aggression.

(Study Challenges Long-Standing Concept in Cancer Metabolism, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

However, when there are three or more strains present, provocation causes the other competing strains to increase their aggression and attack each other.

(Bacteria Can 'Divide and Conquer' to Vanquish Their Enemies, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

In all probability she was at this very time waited for there; and Mr. Knightley might be preserved from sinking deeper in aggression towards Mr. Elton, if not towards William Larkins.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The system excited two different sets of neurons, both located in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain associated with emotion and aggression.

(Geneticists produce laser-activated killer mice, Wikinews)

A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of serious assaultive acts or destruction of property due to a failure to resist aggressive impulses; the degree of aggression during these episodes is grossly out of proportion to any psychosocial provocation.

(Intermittent Explosive Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

These provoking toxins make other strains increase their aggression levels by boosting their toxic response.

(Bacteria Can 'Divide and Conquer' to Vanquish Their Enemies, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)