Agressive: has to do with actions/words Hostile: has to do with attitude, often seen in coldness. 1.The situation became very tense when he started shouting, swearing, and generally becoming very aggressive. 2.a. She became extremely hostile toward him, and started talking in a very cold tone toward him. b. The situation had become hostile. While no one had issued any actual threats, you could certainly sense that the people were no longer receptive toward the soldiers. Their facial expressions had become very negative.