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
Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Taira showed excellent heart and cardio, but ultimately his poor striking defense and underdeveloped offensive striking were too much for the challenger to overcome.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
ABC News, 8 May 2026
The charm offensive was benefited Rubio peppering in a number of jokes during his hourlong appearance.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
But if his hamstring allowed their offensive engine to drive, the offense might not be humming.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Taira showed excellent heart and cardio, but ultimately his poor striking defense and underdeveloped offensive striking were too much for the challenger to overcome.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Noun
Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed 72,628 Palestinians and injured 172,520 others, according to the latest figures by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
—ABC News, 8 May 2026
The charm offensive was benefited Rubio peppering in a number of jokes during his hourlong appearance.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
This administration has unleashed a disgusting anti-immigrant agenda.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Let women be monstrous, disgusting, angry, feral creatures!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Magic starred Hopkins as Corky, a magician who reaches fame alongside his ventriloquist’s dummy, the obnoxious and wisecracking Fats.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
And who wants to be John Adams, fat, bald and obnoxious?—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
-
This one way attack drone is aimed at delivering affordable mass capabilities and is engineered for adaptability, and autonomous operations.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, the two teams met in London in an ugly 13-11 Denver win.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
With respect to humor’s inherent subjectivity, the appallingly ugly aesthetics of the AI overwhelm any possible comedic sensibility on display.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
-
Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
-
Brown is still building up his pitch count with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation, requiring high efficiency facing Major League Baseball’s best offense to give them that many outs.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gray has been good at home, a more reliable starter, and Painter has been awful overall.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
-
There was a sense of an extraordinary person and so many extraordinary people doing quite awful things throughout the year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
In that context, current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s statements that the sport will move to simpler power units by 2031 don’t seem particularly objectionable.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
11 May 2026
-
But mostly the dismissal of Hathaway’s grand clownery in this was transferred hatred for the objectionable movie itself.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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