offensive

[uh-fen-siv, aw-fen-, of-en-]

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.

noun

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

/ 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

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of offensive¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Medieval Latin offēnsīvus, from Latin offēns(us) “struck against” (past participle of offendere “to strike against, displease”; offend ) + -īvus -ive

Synonym Study

See hateful.

Example Sentences

Sixteen months of a cataclysmic offensive to try to occupy the town of Pokrovsk, which I also know and where I also filmed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Kyiv’s troops still hold many strategically significant positions in the region, and Ukrainian officials say relinquishing them would give Russia an opportunity to pursue further offensive operations from a position of greater strength.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Jaxson Dart’s possible return offers a lift, but Detroit has too much offensive firepower and is tough at home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The offensive line has shuffled positions with surprising success, and Miller has exceeded all expectations, earning a place in USC’s future plans.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Senedd standards commissioner Douglas Bain found that Jones had both made offensive comments on WhatsApp and not taken action when one of her staff members had made separate offensive comments on the same messaging service.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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