offensive
Americanadjective
-
causing resentful displeasure; highly irritating, angering, or annoying.
offensive television commercials.
- Synonyms:
- unpleasant, vexatious
- Antonyms:
- pleasing
-
unpleasant or disagreeable to the sense.
an offensive odor.
- Synonyms:
- repellent, revolting, disgusting, distasteful
- Antonyms:
- pleasing
-
repugnant to the moral sense, good taste, or the like; insulting.
an offensive remark; an offensive joke.
- Synonyms:
- disgusting, distasteful, shocking, repulsive, repellent, revolting
-
pertaining to offense or attack.
the offensive movements of their troops.
- Antonyms:
- defensive
-
characterized by attack; aggressive.
offensive warfare.
noun
-
the position or attitude of aggression or attack.
to take the offensive.
-
an aggressive movement or attack.
a carefully planned naval offensive.
adjective
-
unpleasant or disgusting, as to the senses
-
causing anger or annoyance; insulting
-
for the purpose of attack rather than defence
noun
-
an attitude or position of aggression
-
an assault, attack, or military initiative, esp a strategic one
Usage
The label Offensive is used in this dictionary to indicate that a particular term or definition is likely to be perceived as insulting by a listener or reader—an affront to that particular individual or to an entire group of like individuals—whether or not an offense was intended. Offensive is often paired with the label Disparaging, which is used to indicate that those people who use the offensive term do so to offend intentionally.
Synonym Usage
See hateful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
offensivelyadverb
-
nonoffensivelyadverb
-
overoffensivelyadverb
-
overoffensiveadjective
-
superoffensivenessnoun
-
preoffensivelyadverb
-
superoffensivelyadverb
-
superoffensiveadjective
-
nonoffensivenessnoun
-
quasi-offensivelyadverb
-
preoffensiveadjective
-
unoffensivenessnoun
-
offensivenessnoun
-
preoffensivenessnoun
-
unoffensiveadjective
-
quasi-offensiveadjective
-
overoffensivenessnoun
-
nonoffensiveadjective
-
unoffensivelyadverb
Etymology
Origin of offensive
First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin offēnsīvus, from Latin offēns(us) “struck against” (past participle of offendere “to strike against, displease”; see offend) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Offensive describes rude or hurtful behavior, or a military or sports incursion into an opponent's territory. In any context, "on the offensive" means on the attack. Although offense and defense are opposites, offensive and defensive aren't always. Defensive can mean anxiously challenging of all criticism. Offensive can mean not just attacking someone or something, but belching, insulting people, or otherwise not respecting common standards of behavior.
Vocabulary lists containing offensive
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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American Football, 1st Quarter
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Critics of the proposed sale said it was offensive for the county to pay such a huge premium.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Russian military commentators are warning of an imminent Ukrainian offensive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The next day, CBS Sports announced the addition of Wilson and former three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long to “The NFL Today” on-air team.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
BBC Wales has been shown copies of dozens of offensive Facebook posts, often using inflammatory language, from an account in Roberts' name, stretching from 2022 to 2025.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
The British had lost almost that many, but they had blocked the German offensive.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
