defensive

adjective
UK: /dɪˈfensɪv/
US: /dɪˈfensɪv/

  1. Used to protect someone or something against attack

    1. The soldiers took up defensive positions around the city, ready to fight.
    2. The team adopted a defensive strategy to protect their lead in the final minutes of the game.

  2. Behaving in a way that shows you feel people are criticizing you

    1. He became very defensive when I asked about his work, which was not good.
    2. When questioned about the missing funds, the treasurer immediately adopted a defensive posture.

Synonyms

guarded wary shielding justificatory
defensive noun

  1. The act of defending; protecting from attack

    1. Our team has a very strong defensive.
    2. The team’s defensive was weakened by injuries to key players before game.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "defensive" in English means: Used to protect someone or something against attack, Behaving in a way that shows you feel people are criticizing you.

The phonetic transcription of "defensive" is /dɪˈfensɪv/ in British English and /dɪˈfensɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "defensive": guarded, wary, shielding, justificatory.

Example usage of "defensive": "The soldiers took up defensive positions around the city, ready to fight.". More examples on the page.