agonistic

Adjective
Synonyms: agonisticalcombativestrained

WordNet 3.0

Adjective (3)

  1. of or relating to the athletic contests held in ancient Greece
  2. striving to overcome in argument“a dialectical and agonistic approach”Synonyms: agonisticalcombative
  3. struggling for effect“agonistic poses”Synonyms: strained
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Agonistic \Ag`o*nis"tic\, Agonistical \Ag`o*nis"tic*al\, a. [Gr. ?. See Agonism.] Pertaining to violent contests, bodily or mental; pertaining to athletic or polemic feats; athletic; combative; hence, strained; unnatural. [1913 Webster]

As a scholar, he [Dr. Parr] was brilliant, but he consumed his power in agonistic displays. --De Quincey. [1913 Webster]

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