agonistic

adjective

ˌa-gə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce agonistic (audio)
Definition of agonisticnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 agonistic Their observations reveal that Bruce dominates not only in agonistic interactions but also socially during feeding. — Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026 Ong used the word agonistic; oral cultures are competitive. — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026 Many owners in the city feel stuck—the dog is trigger stacked from the urban environment and more likely to have agonistic reactions towards other dogs as a result. — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025 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 Finally, serial attacks may signal the agonistic potential of a family to other flock members. — Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonistic
  1. aggressive
  2. militant
  3. hostile
  4. contentious
Adjective
  • While Chelsea tend to retreat after taking the lead, their opponents also become more aggressive in response, committing extra bodies forward and helping to create more open, end-to-end encounters.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The acquisition comes after the distributor’s founder and then-CEO, Andrew Karpen, died from an aggressive form of brain cancer at the age of 59 in May 2025.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • The Israeli military said the munition was believed to belong to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Oct. 2026
  • In recent months, some militant settlers are ramping up their campaign to violently drive out the Palestinians who live there -- often with impunity -- the Israeli government showing an unwillingness to crack down on the violence.
    — Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • That night, Lee goes to Ginger’s house to tell her what happened — about his hostile showdown with the rupidoop, about Brawny Dude With the Butter Candies checking out Lee’s van in the Boontill parking lot.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The trip to Leeds is another daunting assignment for United in what is usually a hostile atmosphere.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • But there are uncertainties ahead, including MLB labor negotiations, which will address the contentious question of a player salary cap and could result in a prolonged work stoppage in 2027.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But the series then gets to know people in depth, allowing for far more nuance than the contentious school board meetings.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of contentious

Browse Nearby Words

agonies
agonistic
agonize
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Agonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonistic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All