assertive

assertive

adjective

Definition of ASSERTIVE

1

having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal <some reef fish are assertive in defending their territory>

Synonyms ambitious, assertive, enterprising, fierce, go-getting, high-pressure, in-your-face, militant, pushy, self-asserting, self-assertive

Related Words argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, combative, contentious, discordant, disputatious, gladiatorial, militant, pugnacious, quarrelsome, trigger-happy, truculent, warlike; hyperaggressive, overambitious; dynamic, energetic, enterprising, gung ho, hustling, strenuous, vigorous; emphatic, obtrusive; adventuresome, adventurous, daring, dashing, emboldened, gutsy, venturesome, venturous; audacious, bold, brash, brassy, bumptious, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, confident, determined, forward, impudent, insolent, overconfident, presumptuous, unapologetic, unsubdued, unyielding; bare-knuckle (also bare-knuckled or bare-knuckles), feisty, scrappy; dominating, domineering, imperious, lordly, magisterial, overbearing

Near Antonyms easygoing, laid-back, relaxed; acquiescent, amenable, compliant, deferential, docile, resigned, submissive, tractable, yielding; cowering, cringing, groveling (or grovelling), shrinking; bashful, demure, diffident, humble, lowly, meek, mild, modest, mousy (or mousey), overmodest, passive, quiet, reserved, retiring, shy, subdued, timid, unobtrusive; obsequious, servile, slavish, subservient

Antonyms ambitionless, low-pressure, nonassertive, unaggressive, unambitious, unassertive, unenterprising

2

marked by or uttered with forcefulness <after months of assertive declarations that he would not run for president, he announced he was running>

Synonyms aggressive, assertive, dynamic, energetic, forceful, full-blooded, muscular, resounding, strenuous, vehement, vigorous, violent

Related Words decided, insistent, marked, pointed; absolute, categorical (also categoric), clear, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal; arresting, compelling, conspicuous, impelling, noticeable, striking

Near Antonyms guarded, mild, uncompelling, weak, wishy-washy; ambiguous, equivocal, halting, hesitant; understated

Antonyms nonassertive, nonemphatic, unemphatic