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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of offensive
Sam Blum, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Later in the game, Stowers added to the offensive output with a key RBI single that extended the Marlins’ lead and helped seal the win.
—Isaac Azout, Miami Herald, 17 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
This weekend won’t erase that, or all of the offensive, defensive and pitching stats that still rank the Angels near the worst in baseball.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Later in the game, Stowers added to the offensive output with a key RBI single that extended the Marlins’ lead and helped seal the win.
—Isaac Azout, Miami Herald, 17 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
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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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But some less-expensive papers have an overwhelmingly obnoxious chemical smell.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 May 2025
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The Ford Ranger Raptor is big, beautifully obnoxious, comfortable, quick and carries many logs.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes.com,
6 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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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
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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
Adjective
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All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn't just an American problem.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
13 May 2025
-
That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
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On Saturday, an employee at one of Smith’s restaurants shared insight into how operations have changed since the increase in raids.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2025
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The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was not informed of the raid ahead of time.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
16 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 27 May. 2025.
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