offensive

adjective
UK: /əˈfensɪv/
US: /əˈfensɪv/

  1. Causing someone to feel hurt, angry, or upset by rude or disrespectful behavior or language.

    1. That joke was offensive to many people. [ ] [ ]
    2. The magazine published offensive pictures which caused a great deal of complaints. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used for attacking; connected with attacking.

    1. The team has a strong offensive line. [ ] [ ]
    2. The army launched a major offensive against the enemy forces near the border. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

insulting attack aggressive
offensive noun

  1. An attack or assault, especially a military one.

    1. The army is planning a major offensive. [ ] [ ]
    2. Their strong offensive overwhelmed the opposing team and secured their victory. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "offensive" in English means: Causing someone to feel hurt, angry, or upset by rude or disrespectful behavior or language., Used for attacking; connected with attacking..

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

Synonyms for "offensive": insulting, attack, aggressive.

Example usage of "offensive": "That joke was offensive to many people.". More examples on the page.