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
Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Robert's minimal offensive production has been the Achilles' heel for any trade.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 July 2025
The attacks killed two and injured 16, and followed 10 days of drone strikes, which have often broken single-night records -- and have marked a shift as Russia continues its summer offensive.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews played 17 seasons with a single franchise, playing five positions along the offensive line and earning All-Pro honors at three.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Robert's minimal offensive production has been the Achilles' heel for any trade.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Noun
In the nearly two years since, more than 55,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s subsequent military offensive against Hamas, while countless more Palestinian refugees have faced widespread hunger and homelessness.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 July 2025
The attacks killed two and injured 16, and followed 10 days of drone strikes, which have often broken single-night records -- and have marked a shift as Russia continues its summer offensive.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
Nearly 200 pounds of disgusting mats and fur was removed, which equates to an average of 1.5 pounds per dog.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
-
There is no way around it: Toilet brushes are disgusting.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Harrison — who fled to New York City and now works at an upscale Manhattan hotel — crosses paths with an obnoxious guest/serial rapist, Ryan Foster (Bryan Lillis).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
-
Hostile and unwelcoming, Elisabeth actually comes off like a typical Parisian, ill-suited to the task of accompanying obnoxious rich people into their overpriced rentals.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
From 21 March on, the gang launched attacks against several areas in the communes of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and Marchand Dessalines.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
-
In one attack in late January, Russian drones hit an apartment complex in an overnight attack, killing nine people and injuring 13.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
These are the kind of ugly games that sometimes get played when GMs and coaches grow apart and pressure builds on their job securities and livelihoods.—
Pat Leonard,
Hartford Courant,
21 July 2025
-
In 1965 Martin got into an ugly battle with President Lyndon B. Johnson.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Students, both the ones who behave and the ones who misbehave, need to know that there are real consequences for unacceptable behavior.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
The details of a raid can be useful for the non-citzen’s legal case.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
19 July 2025
-
These are parents who may lose health care coverage, immigrants afraid of being swept up in a raid, families who count on assistance programs to feed their children.—
State Sen. MD Rahman,
Hartford Courant,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pictures of Piper the dog, who last year went through an awful health scare after having a rawhide treat.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
-
That’s a horrible way to feel, and an awful way for fans to treat her.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Ryan MacDonald, chief technology officer at Liquid Web, attributes the disturbing, confusing and objectionable content to guardrails not properly built or updated.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
After some back-and-forth posts over the weekend, Moreland accused Bryan of inappropriate and objectionable behavior.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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