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.
Related Words
See hateful.
Other Word Forms
- nonoffensive adjective
- nonoffensively adverb
- nonoffensiveness noun
- offensively adverb
- offensiveness 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
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.
Judge Cummings said: "If there ever was any remorse it is completely nullified by these offensive lies."
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
NBA champions historically rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, graded as points per 100 possessions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
"Now it feels more offensive because I feel like there is no excuse any more," Mali said.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
He played offensive left tackle, making All-Pro several times.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Now that the Soviet Army was on the offensive, the terrifying Orders 270 and 227 didn’t have to be enforced to the letter.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
