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
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Boston’s offensive approach will be a top storyline as the Celtics look to even the second-round series in Game 2 on Wednesday.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
The Ukrainian army entered Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
Armstead was one of the main driving forces behind the offensive line coming into the building on the player’s day off the past three seasons, doing their rehab work, and advance film study together on Tuesdays.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Boston’s offensive approach will be a top storyline as the Celtics look to even the second-round series in Game 2 on Wednesday.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 May 2025
Noun
Since then, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities.
—Joshua McElwee, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
The Ukrainian army entered Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, capturing dozens of settlements in the biggest offensive by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
The fridge was smelly and disgusting before it was replaced about a week later.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Vandalizing the State Republican Party's property with disgusting Nazi symbols while screaming about 'fascism' reveals these individuals are hypocrites, idiots, or both.—
Ewan Palmer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Which speaks to just how obnoxious the book truly is.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
An air of stillness surrounded her, as if her mere presence were enough to dispel obnoxious or malign activity.—
Reggie Ugwu,
New York Times,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Whitmer wages charm offensive against Trump as other Dems attack As much as Trump enjoys skewering his rivals, the president has lauded Whitmer on multiple occasions since returning to power.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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But the attacks also represent a broad assault on American civil society, says Lee Wasserman, director of the Rockefeller Family Fund and a target of the hacking.—
Michael Copley
,
Russell Newlove,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The biggest storyline in the series, however, has been all of the ugly hits and bad blood between the two state rivals.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Brinkley in her book describes one ugly scene when Joel, deep in his cups, ate a heap of spaghetti directly from a large pan on the stove, then vehemently kicked everyone out of the house for eating his pasta.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cutting them to fund tax breaks for the wealthy is unacceptable.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Change fatigue can cause corporate leadership to become more willing to accept the unwelcome, and to normalize the unacceptable.—
Michael Peregrine,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The daily remote raid limit is also being increased from five to 10, and a new bundle for Remote Raid Passes has been added to the Pokémon Go web store, which includes two Remote Raid Passes for $2.99.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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The New Mexico Avenue location of Chef Geoff’s — one of two D.C. restaurants owned and operated by O’Donnell’s husband, Geoff Tracy — was subject to a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the morning of Tuesday, May 6.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Before the turn of the year, Manchester City were stuck in an awful rut.—
Sam Tighe,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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The grandson of the benefactor whose maiden name christens the auditorium itself (The Fish Theater, which spawns a stream of awful fish puns as long as a whale), Jack was born into ballet and defends dance with every fiber of his being.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
DeSantis had, apparently, figured out a way to stuff Make America Great Again into a sleeker, less objectionable package, one that appealed to both traditional Republican business interests and the newly influential far right.—
Drew Nelles,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
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President Trump and his top adviser on downsizing the government, Elon Musk, have ordered nearly every agency to reduce staff on a tight deadline to overhaul the government, in part by eliminating programs the president views as ideologically objectionable.—
Eileen Sullivan,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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