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
Examples of offensive in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Aubrey Plaza similarly denounced the offensive remarks.
—Brian Brant, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Constant Méheut, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Combat feels crunchy in the best way, and boss battles especially challenge your abilities to manage your health and party versus staying on the offensive.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offensive 
Adjective
LeBron James came out for the VP on Thursday, and Jennifer Lopez spoke at a Las Vegas Harris rally over the offensive words.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
Aubrey Plaza similarly denounced the offensive remarks.
—Brian Brant, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
To make matters worse, Ukraine has weakened its positions in the Donbas by redeploying seasoned units from there to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border offensive this summer.
—Constant Méheut, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Combat feels crunchy in the best way, and boss battles especially challenge your abilities to manage your health and party versus staying on the offensive.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
Trump is disgusting, unhinged and unfit to represent the United States.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Oliver Stone calls John Wick 4 'disgusting beyond belief' Star Keanu Reeves was the film's main selling point, but his box office pull had considerably weakened since his glory days in the 1990s.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
But not the party atmosphere of today, with some people drinking too much and some obnoxious people ruining it for the majority.Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
-
The extra that was shot by accident earlier this season was one such obnoxious jerk.Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Jackson showed little remorse for the victims of his violent attacks, which infuriated McManus.Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Will Fairview’s high-powered attack, headlined by star senior wideout/running back Jordan Rechel, be enough to make noise in the playoffs after a so-so regular-season schedule?Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Watch on Hulu Queenie Queenie Jenkins (Dionne Brown) is a Jamaican-British twentysomething whose world is thrown into an upheaval following an ugly breakup with her boyfriend.Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
-
All those who downplay General John Kelly’s revelations and even attack Trump’s former chief of staff for noting the ex-president’s fascist beliefs are also, in their way, bowing to the ugliest currents in our political culture.DP Opinion, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
To me, your voting parchment is your strongest advantage in the game, and losing it is unacceptable.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
-
Superintendent Michael Robinson reviewed the video footage and determined the actions taken by the SRO were unacceptable, according to the school district’s release.Jillian Sykes, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
His support for a closer alignment with Moscow could embolden Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, leading to a potential complete Russian occupation of Ukraine and raids on NATO member countries.Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
-
Hankison, who had been with Louisville Metro Police for about 17 years at the time of the raid and was one of three officers to discharge their weapons that night, fired 10 rounds into Taylor's apartment through a covered glass door and window.Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Why has simply being awake in a comfortable bed become such an awful situation?Korin Miller, Health, 1 Nov. 2024
-
While the Panthers have been objectively awful nearly every week this season, New Orleans has not been much better since its surprising 2-0 start.Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Once the objectionable joke about Harris was spotted, a staffer asked Hinchcliffe to strike it.Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
-
Brand safety refers to employing measures to protect a company's image and reputation, such as ensuring ads don't appear next to objectionable content.Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near offensive
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share