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
Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
The former UConn star point guard had grabbed an offensive rebound before driving to the basket with Vandersloot guarding her.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
The offensive has led to the closure of northern Gaza's main hospitals, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis amid ongoing blockades.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
With 22 home runs and elite offensive production, all while Ohtani does everything necessary to become a pitcher again, his hard work is not lost on Roberts.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 31 May 2025
The former UConn star point guard had grabbed an offensive rebound before driving to the basket with Vandersloot guarding her.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
Israel’s retaliatory offensive, which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
The offensive has led to the closure of northern Gaza's main hospitals, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis amid ongoing blockades.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
But unfortunately, that also means Big Mouth, the cartoon about all the disgusting, messy parts of growing up from Nick Kroll, must also conclude as well.—
Lucy Ford,
Time,
19 May 2025
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Donning silly British accents, Johansson joins Gardner, Fineman, and Sherman for a disgusting and messy meal.—
Andy Hoglund Updated,
EW.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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The actor has charm to spare, chemistry with leading lady Alexis Floyd and has given his alter ego a cocksure swagger that neatly straddles the line between confident and obnoxious.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
18 May 2025
Noun
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But after the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the movie was retooled with a new finale before being released in theaters on June 21, 2002.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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Defense growth is solid, and [joint direct attack munition] is unique for WWD.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
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The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The first project yields too many false positives, introducing an unacceptable amount of friction into the consumer experience.—
Shazia Manus,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Noun
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When Pride Month began The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a year after the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
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Earlier in the year, CBP agents conducted a three-day raid in rural parts of Kern County targeting day laborers and Latino farmworkers.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and can damage anything with plastic in it, like synthetic clothing and camping gear.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
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The name itself isn’t awful, but actions have consequences.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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Judges sometimes make decisions that are objectionable from a moral and legal standpoint.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
23 May 2025
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And so the options are: carrying out the objectionable policy, convincing the boss to see the error of their ways, or finding a way to implement the boss’s policy that does work.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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