Synonyms for offensive
əˈfɛn sɪv or, for 4,5 , ˈɔ fɛn-, ˈɒf ɛn-of·fen·sive

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   invidious

2. offensiveadjective

   Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred

   Some feminists find pornography offensive.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

3. offensiveadjective

   Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.

   The army's offensive capabilities. An offensive weapon.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

4. offensiveadjective

   Having to do with play directed at scoring.

   The offensive coordinator is responsible for ordering all rushing plays.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensive

   Synonyms:
   arrogant, austere, crabbed, disagreeable, displeasing, dreary, forbidding, gloomy, glum, grim, harsh, hateful, ill-humored, ill-natured, repellent, repelling, repulsive, unkind, unpleasant

   Antonyms:
   agreeable, attractive, good-natured, kind, kindly, obliging, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensive

   Synonyms:
   aggressive, obnoxious, distasteful, displeasing, foul, fetid, unsavory

   Antonyms:
   defensive, grateful, pleasant, savory

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offense, offence, offensiveadjective

   the action of attacking an enemy

   Synonyms:
   offense, criminal offence, criminal offense, umbrage, discourtesy, offensive activity, crime, offence, law-breaking

   Antonyms:
   inoffensive, unoffending, wholesome, innocuous, offenceless, antitank, en garde, antiaircraft, offenseless, defensive, defending, antisubmarine, unobjectionable

2. offensive, violativeadjective

   violating or tending to violate or offend against

   "violative of the principles of liberty"; "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antisubmarine, inoffensive, defending, offenseless, wholesome, unoffending, defensive, offenceless, antiaircraft, unobjectionable, en garde, antitank, innocuous

3. offensiveadjective

   for the purpose of attack rather than defense

   "offensive weapons"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   inoffensive, antitank, unobjectionable, unoffending, antiaircraft, wholesome, innocuous, defending, defensive, offenseless, en garde, offenceless, antisubmarine

4. offensiveadjective

   causing anger or annoyance

   "offensive remarks"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antiaircraft, unoffending, innocuous, antisubmarine, en garde, antitank, offenseless, wholesome, defensive, defending, offenceless, inoffensive, unobjectionable

5. unsavory, unsavoury, offensiveadjective

   morally offensive

   "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, distasteful, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   offenseless, defensive, innocuous, inoffensive, antitank, antiaircraft, en garde, unoffending, wholesome, unobjectionable, antisubmarine, offenceless, defending

6. offensiveadjective

   unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses

   "offensive odors"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antisubmarine, offenceless, defending, antiaircraft, unoffending, defensive, unobjectionable, en garde, inoffensive, antitank, offenseless, wholesome, innocuous

7. dysphemistic, offensiveadjective

   substitute a harsher or distasteful term for a mild one

   "`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   offenseless, en garde, inoffensive, antitank, offenceless, defending, defensive, innocuous, antiaircraft, antisubmarine, unoffending, wholesome, unobjectionable

8. nauseating, nauseous, noisome, queasy, loathsome, offensive, sickening, vileadjective

   causing or able to cause nausea

   "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"

   Synonyms:
   noisome, fetid, nauseous, revolting, nauseating, unsavory, ugly, foul, repellent, dysphemistic, slimy, unsavoury, distasteful, anxious, sick, ill-scented, foetid, vile, despicable, disgustful, stinking, disgusting, sickening, smelly, repelling, worthless, unquiet, foul-smelling, loathsome, sickish, nauseated, nervous, yucky, wicked, uneasy, skanky, funky, wretched, loathly, violative, unworthy, queasy, repellant

   Antonyms:
   unoffending, inoffensive, antiaircraft, offenseless, offenceless, antitank, wholesome, en garde, defending, antisubmarine, defensive, innocuous, unobjectionable

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   aggressive, assailant, attacking, invading

2. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   disgusting, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, loathsome, repulsive

3. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   disagreeable, unpleasant, unpalatable, displeasing, revolting, shocking, abominable, detestable, hateful, execrable, obnoxious

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   obnoxious, displeasing, noisome, distasteful, insolent, abusive, aggressive, assailant, fetid, disagreeable, opprobrious, scurrilous, fulsome

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "offensive":

   attack, insulting, aggressive, assault, onslaught, shocking, obnoxious, abusive, repugnant, pro-active, non-offensive, offense, attacking, derogatory

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use offensive in a sentence?

1. Bill Brewster:

   That they didn't have enough foresight to think this might happen is offensive to me.

2. Kirstjen Nielsen:

   This administration did not create a policy of separating families at the border, i find that offensive.

3. Arakan Army:

   We made a counter-attack against the Burmese army, as they did offensive attacks in the land of our comrades, they announced ceasefires but attacked wherever they wanted to.

4. Cenk Uygur:

   I deleted it 15 years ago not because I got caught, or because I thought somebody was going to find it, I deleted it because I didn't believe it anymore. ... This is not me. I was trying to be a stupid, politically incorrect Republican. So I wrote these things I knew were offensive.

5. Stacy Langton:

   It was intentional, it was meant to be offensive.