as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
clearly a writer with a chip on his shoulder, he's very agonistic even when stating indisputable facts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonistic
The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.
—
E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
The Red Queen is about eternal recurrence of the agonistic dance between organisms.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2011
Finally, serial attacks may signal the agonistic potential of a family to other flock members.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
But the drive, the bile, the essential, agonistic spirit that powers the greatest rock music and serves as the source of its creativity will almost certainly be lacking.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 4 Sep. 2021
This agonistic version of the fact-value distinction leaves us with an impoverished ideal of social interaction.
—Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonistic
Adjective
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However, thanks to aggressive conservation efforts, including predator control programs, habitat restoration, and breeding initiatives, several kiwi species have seen rebounds.—
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Even so, the aggressive play in this post-season has stood out.—
Adjective
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Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militant group operates from civilian areas.—
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Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January.—
Adjective
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And Marguerite did actually manage to live there for years, scraping together a life on the hostile tundra.—
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And this is a very hard-line government that has taken a kind of hostile view of everybody in the region.—
Adjective
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This is a flawed sin; trying to make something happen in a contentious area with a bunch of people who had their own history.—
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Last week, America welcomed the first group of South African Afrikaans refugees to the country, a move which has proved contentious.—
Cite this Entry
“Agonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonistic. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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