1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
I find your disrespectful attitude toward religion very offensive the smell of rotting food is quite offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obnoxious
provoking or likely to provoke protest
insensitive, offensive remarks about the plight of the homeless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the primary offensive by the ground forces will commence at dawn tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offensive
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
That sparked an offensive onslaught in the later innings.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Israel has ramped up its military offensive since ending two months of ceasefire.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
The Rockies went with Sean Bouchard, Nick Martini and Jordan Beck over him, believing Veen needed to demonstrate more consistency in his offensive approach.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
That sparked an offensive onslaught in the later innings.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
The group’s first leader, Abdul-Malik’s older brother Hussein al-Houthi, was killed in 2004 during a brutal offensive by the Yemeni military.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Israel has ramped up its military offensive since ending two months of ceasefire.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
These were disgusting, irresponsible comments by someone who is charged with overseeing public health for hundreds of millions of people.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Do not tell the patient disgusting hospital stories about your own operations or procedures.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Tim, Victoria, and Piper The episode begins with an obnoxious fake-out where Tim imagines killing himself, before sending most of the Ratliffs, save Saxon, off to the monastery so Tim and Victoria can have a look around this place where their daughter intends to live for at least a year.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2025
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Does so obnoxious a movie deserve even negative attention?—
Graham Hillard,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There has been a big labor split, however, with carpenters and laborers unions going heavily for Moreno — and waging tough attacks against Aguirre.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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On Friday, a Russian ballistic missile and drone attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih -- Zelenskyy's home town -- killed 19 people, including nine children.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone knew it, especially when some San Francisco Giants batters took ugly hacks against it in the first inning.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Win that one, too, of course, and the No. 1-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference would await to very likely only elongate the end for this Heat season and end it ugly. Do not expect a play-in to the Finals miracle run like Miami pulled off two years ago.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Forcing Americans and small independent American companies to rely on those same tools is an unacceptable outcome of domestic legislation.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Defense stocks were once considered socially unacceptable investments, but fund managers are slowly changing tack as the sector has rallied in recent years.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The police, several older unhoused people explained to me, were making their lives increasingly difficult by staging regular raids.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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Critics say such raids sow fear in vulnerable communities.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Players who are in strong lineups on teams prone to having awful lineups on the floor in the same games are prone to having skewed impact numbers.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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And the awful topper came in his Arizona Fall League debut, where the Thomas Jefferson High School product was torched by some of baseball’s best prospects and didn’t make it out of the first inning.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The resolution making the change states the council often considers multiple items on its agenda that are not controversial or otherwise objectionable, often leading to multiple unanimous roll call votes.—
Samuel Clanton,
arkansasonline.com,
10 Mar. 2025
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Welcome to the Great Emboldening, where ideas and actions that might have been unthinkable, objectionable, or reputationally risky in the past are now on the table.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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