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
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Cenac will need to improve as a rim protector and round out his offensive game to become a consistent contributor at the next level.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
The government outlawed the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest British military support for Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
—
ABC News,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
But whenever Swanson gets home from the ballpark and sees his 7-month-old daughter, Josie, with wife and Chicago Stars star Mallory helps put his offensive struggles in perspective.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Cenac will need to improve as a rim protector and round out his offensive game to become a consistent contributor at the next level.
—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
Noun
The city, usually home to some 90,000 people before the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, was largely deserted as Israel pressed its military offensive in the area in recent days.
—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
The government outlawed the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest British military support for Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
—
ABC News,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
Get a room, this is disgusting!
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And, to me, there’s nothing more disgusting than an airplane bathroom.
Adjective
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And, for all the theater of the hearing and Wyper’s expressions of sympathy with aldermen, the Stonepeak executive didn’t offer any meaningful concessions to make this obnoxious meter deal more palatable for Chicagoans.
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The song’s spacious production lets its piercing saxophone riffs dissipate into silence, only for borderline obnoxious horns to swirl them back into rhythm.
Noun
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One of the dogs involved in the attack was later found in Los Angeles County and seized.
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Two people were killed and seven others injured in Russian attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Friday.
Adjective
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With one notable exception, everyone over there has nothing but ugly things to say about their main villa counterparts.
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Women superheroes have always activated an ugly segment of the internet.
Adjective
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If scar tissue is too severe, if prior surgeries have left the blood supply compromised, or if a patient's goals aren't achievable without unacceptable risk, proceeding could cause irreversible damage.
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Yes, Stokes’ late night out, in the context of what went on before, was unacceptable.
Noun
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Battiloro was arrested following an extensive investigation and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and multiple traffic offenses, according to prosecutors.
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Cape Verde's been leading the offense, with several opportunities dancing around the Saudi net, but without precision.
Adjective
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Messi shook off his awful spot kick to deliver another match-winning masterclass against Austria and become the competition’s all-time top scorer in the process.
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But the Windows handheld software experience on the Claw is just awful compared to the straightforwardness of SteamOS on the Steam Deck.
Adjective
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The list, however, does not provide images of the content that NPS found objectionable.
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An example of an inherently objectionable use might be a heliport in a heavily residential municipality.
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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