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
Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2025
Crunching numbers The Kings are 21st in the NBA in offensive rating (112.4) and 29th in defensive rating (123.0) with a 3-9 record over the past 12 games.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
Sadie Hoch, Newport Harbor, Sr., midfielder The Texas commit and Sunset League offensive MVP had 13 goals and 11 assists for the league runner-up.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
Specifically, Schottenheimer is looking at the offensive and defensive lines as areas where competition will be rampant heading into the season.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2025
Crunching numbers The Kings are 21st in the NBA in offensive rating (112.4) and 29th in defensive rating (123.0) with a 3-9 record over the past 12 games.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
Trump is apparently shifting to a charm offensive in his efforts to win control of the territory, with second lady Usha Vance joining U.S. envoys including Vice President Vance and Waltz on the trip.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
Sadie Hoch, Newport Harbor, Sr., midfielder The Texas commit and Sunset League offensive MVP had 13 goals and 11 assists for the league runner-up.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
Do not tell the patient disgusting hospital stories about your own operations or procedures.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Using that platform to engage in partisan attacks and accuse former Department leadership of weaponizing law enforcement is a disgusting betrayal of those values.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
True, Lochlan, the sweetest or in any case the least obnoxious Ratliff, survives.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2025
-
This makes the game more tactical and prevents obnoxious third-partying from teams that come swooping down from the air.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
The first outcome would be a massive win for the United States, while the second would likely be far uglier.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2025
-
That pollution causes an ugly brown smog to blanket the skyline on hot summer days and causes people, especially those with respiratory problems, to struggle to breathe.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
For now, the Trump administration is loosening rules on commanders conducting military raids and airstrikes, expanding the range of people and places that can be targeted.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
-
The woman, who sued under a Jane Doe pseudonym, told jurors that Way allegedly first raped her in a bathroom during a police raid of his home in mid-February 2019.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Failure to invest in protecting the vulnerable likely means the current awful trends will continue.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
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There are so many connections between all these awful people.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
First, the State Department is canceling visas due to an exercise of free speech that administration officials find objectionable.—
Stuart Anderson,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The Court’s spent the last several years settling old grievances, overruling decades-old cases that the Republican Party has long found objectionable.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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