combative; striving to overcome in argument. straining for effect: agonistic humor. of or relating to ancient Greek athletic contests.

What does it mean if someone is agonistic?

1 : of or relating to the athletic contests of ancient Greece. 2 : argumentative. 3 : striving for effect : strained. 4 : of, relating to, or being aggressive or defensive social interaction (such as fighting, fleeing, or submitting) between individuals usually of the same species.

How do you use agonistic in a sentence?

Sibling violence and agonistic interactions experienced by early adolescents. The conditioned agonistic behavior was robust and slow to extinguish. All such interactions that were observed were recorded, but we focused on possible agonistic interactions among bees at baits.