Synonyms for offensive
əˈfɛn sɪv or, for 4,5 , ˈɔ fɛn-, ˈɒf ɛn-of·fen·sive

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   invidious

2. offensiveadjective

   Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred

   Some feminists find pornography offensive.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

3. offensiveadjective

   Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.

   The army's offensive capabilities. An offensive weapon.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

4. offensiveadjective

   Having to do with play directed at scoring.

   The offensive coordinator is responsible for ordering all rushing plays.

   Synonyms:
   invidious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensive

   Synonyms:
   arrogant, austere, crabbed, disagreeable, displeasing, dreary, forbidding, gloomy, glum, grim, harsh, hateful, ill-humored, ill-natured, repellent, repelling, repulsive, unkind, unpleasant

   Antonyms:
   agreeable, attractive, good-natured, kind, kindly, obliging, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensive

   Synonyms:
   aggressive, obnoxious, distasteful, displeasing, foul, fetid, unsavory

   Antonyms:
   defensive, grateful, pleasant, savory

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offense, offence, offensiveadjective

   the action of attacking an enemy

   Synonyms:
   offense, criminal offence, criminal offense, umbrage, discourtesy, offensive activity, crime, offence, law-breaking

   Antonyms:
   inoffensive, unoffending, wholesome, innocuous, offenceless, antitank, en garde, antiaircraft, offenseless, defensive, defending, antisubmarine, unobjectionable

2. offensive, violativeadjective

   violating or tending to violate or offend against

   "violative of the principles of liberty"; "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antisubmarine, inoffensive, defending, offenseless, wholesome, unoffending, defensive, offenceless, antiaircraft, unobjectionable, en garde, antitank, innocuous

3. offensiveadjective

   for the purpose of attack rather than defense

   "offensive weapons"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   inoffensive, antitank, unobjectionable, unoffending, antiaircraft, wholesome, innocuous, defending, defensive, offenseless, en garde, offenceless, antisubmarine

4. offensiveadjective

   causing anger or annoyance

   "offensive remarks"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antiaircraft, unoffending, innocuous, antisubmarine, en garde, antitank, offenseless, wholesome, defensive, defending, offenceless, inoffensive, unobjectionable

5. unsavory, unsavoury, offensiveadjective

   morally offensive

   "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, distasteful, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   offenseless, defensive, innocuous, inoffensive, antitank, antiaircraft, en garde, unoffending, wholesome, unobjectionable, antisubmarine, offenceless, defending

6. offensiveadjective

   unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses

   "offensive odors"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   antisubmarine, offenceless, defending, antiaircraft, unoffending, defensive, unobjectionable, en garde, inoffensive, antitank, offenseless, wholesome, innocuous

7. dysphemistic, offensiveadjective

   substitute a harsher or distasteful term for a mild one

   "`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'"

   Synonyms:
   queasy, unsavory, loathsome, nauseating, unsavoury, nauseous, dysphemistic, sickening, violative, vile, noisome

   Antonyms:
   offenseless, en garde, inoffensive, antitank, offenceless, defending, defensive, innocuous, antiaircraft, antisubmarine, unoffending, wholesome, unobjectionable

8. nauseating, nauseous, noisome, queasy, loathsome, offensive, sickening, vileadjective

   causing or able to cause nausea

   "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"

   Synonyms:
   noisome, fetid, nauseous, revolting, nauseating, unsavory, ugly, foul, repellent, dysphemistic, slimy, unsavoury, distasteful, anxious, sick, ill-scented, foetid, vile, despicable, disgustful, stinking, disgusting, sickening, smelly, repelling, worthless, unquiet, foul-smelling, loathsome, sickish, nauseated, nervous, yucky, wicked, uneasy, skanky, funky, wretched, loathly, violative, unworthy, queasy, repellant

   Antonyms:
   unoffending, inoffensive, antiaircraft, offenseless, offenceless, antitank, wholesome, en garde, defending, antisubmarine, defensive, innocuous, unobjectionable

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   aggressive, assailant, attacking, invading

2. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   disgusting, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, loathsome, repulsive

3. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   disagreeable, unpleasant, unpalatable, displeasing, revolting, shocking, abominable, detestable, hateful, execrable, obnoxious

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. offensiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   obnoxious, displeasing, noisome, distasteful, insolent, abusive, aggressive, assailant, fetid, disagreeable, opprobrious, scurrilous, fulsome

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "offensive":

   attack, insulting, aggressive, assault, onslaught, shocking, obnoxious, abusive, repugnant, pro-active, non-offensive, offense, attacking, derogatory

How to pronounce offensive?

How to say offensive in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use offensive in a sentence?

1. The FAA:

   When a second flight attendant instructed the passenger to wear his mask over his nose and mouth, he became combative and used offensive language.

2. Bernie Sanders:

   I wouldn’t use the word offensive, I found them a little bit silly, a bit absurd, the issue was what impact did the fact that she has received huge amounts of funding from Wall Street have on her attitude towards Wall Street.

3. Jonathan London:

   We'll see more of an unmitigated charm offensive than what's going on behind closed doors, the general view is there's an emerging crop of prospective leaders of the variety that sees international integration as an opportunity more than a threat, and has a more circumspect view of Beijing.

4. President Vladimir Putin:

   This military operation is limited in time. Russian air forces will help Assad's army while it's on the offensive mode, there will be no Russian boots on the ground.

5. Wendy Auger:

   }I'm not a political activist, but this is a non-offensive thing that I've had and it's part of who we are as a family and who I am and there was zero reason for them to take it away.