aggressor

noun

ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgre-sər 

: one that commits or practices aggression

Synonyms of aggressor

• invader
• raider
• attacker

Examples of aggressor in a Sentence

Each country accused the other of being the aggressor.

a group of smaller states had formed an alliance to deter potential aggressors

Recent Examples on the Web

But the show still makes its point that the world of this play has narcissistic aggressors and flailing victims, and those who fall into both of those categories. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

When sacred places are bombed, when clergy are silenced, when believers are tortured, when religious freedom is crushed, the aggressor attempts to extinguish the living conscience of a nation. — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

One of them was a decision taken in March, 2025, to block most or all of the aid, and that actually gave Hamas and Israel’s aggressors a lot of power, because, for several months, there was almost no food going into Gaza. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

In Second Nature, scientists theorize that Darwin couldn’t help but impose his own heterosexual ideations on animal reproduction, mainly that animals only copulate for the purposes of reproduction, with males being the aggressors and females fluttering their eyelids behind lace fans, or something. — Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, "attacker, assailant," from aggredī, adgredī "to approach, attack" + -tor, agent suffix — more at aggress

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aggressor

• assessor
• compressor
• confessor
• depressor
• hairdresser
• necessar
• oppressor
• possessor
• processor
• professor
• repressor
• successor

Kids Definition

aggressor

noun

ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgres-ər 

: a person or country that attacks without reasonable cause

Medical Definition

aggressor

noun

ag·​gres·​sor ə-ˈgres-ər 

: one who exhibits aggression