offensive

American  

[uh-fen-siv, aw-fen-, of-en-] / əˈfɛn sɪv, ˈɔ fɛn-, ˈɒf ɛn- /

adjective

1. causing resentful displeasure; highly irritating, angering, or annoying.

   offensive television commercials.

   Synonyms:

   unpleasant, vexatious

   Antonyms:

   pleasing

2. unpleasant or disagreeable to the sense.

   an offensive odor.

   Synonyms:

   repellent, revolting, disgusting, distasteful

   Antonyms:

   pleasing

3. repugnant to the moral sense, good taste, or the like; insulting.

   an offensive remark; an offensive joke.

   Synonyms:

   disgusting, distasteful, shocking, repulsive, repellent, revolting

4. pertaining to offense or attack.

   the offensive movements of their troops.

   Antonyms:

   defensive

5. characterized by attack; aggressive.

   offensive warfare.

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noun

• offensives
  plural

1. the position or attitude of aggression or attack.

   to take the offensive.

2. an aggressive movement or attack.

   a carefully planned naval offensive.

offensive British  

/ əˈfɛnsɪv /

adjective

1. unpleasant or disgusting, as to the senses

2. causing anger or annoyance; insulting

3. for the purpose of attack rather than defence

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noun

1. an attitude or position of aggression

2. 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

• nonoffensiveness
  noun
• offensiveness
  noun
• overoffensiveness
  noun
• preoffensiveness
  noun
• superoffensiveness
  noun
• unoffensiveness
  noun
• nonoffensive
  adjective
• overoffensive
  adjective
• preoffensive
  adjective
• quasi-offensive
  adjective
• superoffensive
  adjective
• unoffensive
  adjective
• nonoffensively
  adverb
• offensively
  adverb
• overoffensively
  adverb
• preoffensively
  adverb
• quasi-offensively
  adverb
• superoffensively
  adverb
• unoffensively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• offensives
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offensive offensives

St. John Bosco is starting the season without its two prized transfer students, offensive tackle Elisha Mueller and defensive back Kingston Fatu, who will will be eligible on Sept. 28.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Syria has been trying to rebuild its military facilities that were damaged during the offensive that saw Bashar al-Assad's government overthrown.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

In this week’s Dow Jones Risk Journal Podcast: A new White House initiative could allow cybersecurity firms to help the government conduct offensive operations against foreign criminal groups.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The US-based World Central Kitchen condemned the decision calling it "inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive".

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

On May 27, German troops attacked the strategic Chemin des Dames ridge, where the French general Nivelle had launched his disastrous offensive the year before.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

But Charlie Werb, an analyst with Aldebaran Threat Consultants, said the new shipment could help Malian and Russian forces to build up enough strength to launch offensives into areas which have fallen to the rebels.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Russian advances in some of its major offensives are slower than the infamous Battle of the Somme in World War I, according to CSIS.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026

Rebel factions have pledged to block the vote from the enclaves they control, and the junta has admitted the vote cannot be held nationwide, but is waging offensives in a bid to claw back ground.

From Barron's ● Jan. 5, 2026

He shouldn’t have lasted two innings but he survived, squelching early Dodger offensives and holding them to those two early runs while completing four innings despite three walks and four hits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025

General Nicholas Yanushkevich, the Russian chief of staff, complained that his armies were “melting like snow” before the German offensives.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• abhorrent
• abusive
• annoying
• distasteful
• embarrassing
• horrible
• irritating
• objectionable
• obnoxious
• outrageous
• reprehensible
• repugnant
• repulsive
• rude
• shocking