hyperaggressive

adjective

hy·​per·​ag·​gres·​sive ˌhī-pər-ə-ˈgre-siv How to pronounce hyperaggressive (audio)
variants or hyper-aggressive
: extremely or excessively aggressive
a hyperaggressive sales agent
… the high-status prizes now go only to those willing to be hyperaggressive about doing what's necessary to achieve results.Kenneth Labich
hyperaggressively adverb
or hyper-aggressively
Genetically altered mice are scampering all over the place, losing weight, acting hyperaggressively. Linton Weeks
hyperaggressiveness noun
or hyper-aggressiveness
… the spotted hyena, famed for the hyperaggressiveness of the female member of the species. Natalie Angier

Examples of hyperaggressive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One worker wasp—and only one—suddenly becomes hyperaggressive. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2013 That no one challenges this hyperaggressive individual is an even stronger clue. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 2 Feb. 2013 As a result, groups of mellow males can have more offspring than groups that contain hyperaggressive water striders. Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 29 July 2010 Few may be as hyperaggressive as the officers who killed Nichols, but their fear and belligerence can still evoke a reciprocal urge in a driver to talk back or flee, sparking a deadly cycle. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023 The committee had squeezed donors with hyperaggressive new tactics. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2022 Their hyperaggressive driving was deranged, but unfortunately not unusual. William Falk, The Week, 14 Aug. 2021 Unsurprisingly, most available evidence suggests that their style of hyperaggressive diplomacy wasn’t winning friends. Washington Post, 3 June 2021 Not only does the US have to contend with more contagious COVID variants from the UK and South Africa, but a hyperaggressive relaxation of COVID safety guidelines could spur additional outbreaks in the near future. Yoni Heisler, BGR, 16 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyperaggressive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hyperaggressive was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near hyperaggressive

Cite this Entry

“Hyperaggressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperaggressive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

hyperaggressive

adjective
hy·​per·​ag·​gres·​sive ˌhī-pə-rə-ˈgres-əv How to pronounce hyperaggressive (audio)
: extremely or excessively aggressive
hyperaggressive patients

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