Definition of offensive Offensive

/ʌfɛˈnsɪv/ - [ufensiv] - of•fen•sive

We found 21 definitions of offensive from 6 different sources.

What does offensive mean?

WordNet

Adjective
offensive - unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses; "offensive odors"
		inoffensive giving no offense; "a quiet inoffensive man"; "a refreshing inoffensive stimulant"
		evil morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds"
		hateful evoking or deserving hatred; "no vice is universally as hateful as ingratitude"- Joseph Priestly
		unpalatable not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind; "an unpalatable meal"; "unpalatable truths"; "unpalatable behavior"
		unpleasant disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings ; "an unpleasant personality"; "unpleasant repercussions"; "unpleasant odors"
		odiousness, offensiveness, distastefulness the quality of being offensive
		abhorrent, repugnant, detestable, obscene, repulsive offensive to the mind; "an abhorrent deed"; "the obscene massacre at Wounded Knee"; "morally repugnant customs"; "repulsive behavior"; "the most repulsive character in recent novels"
		charnel, ghastly, sepulchral gruesomely indicative of death or the dead; "a charnel smell came from the chest filled with dead men's bones"; "ghastly shrieks"; "the sepulchral darkness of the catacombs"
		creepy causing a sensation as of things crawling on your skin; "a creepy story"; "I had a creepy-crawly feeling"
		disgustful, skanky, revolting, repelling, yucky, loathly, disgusting, loathsome, distasteful, repellant, repellent, wicked, foul highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; "a disgusting smell"; "distasteful language"; "a loathsome disease"; "the idea of eating meat is repellent to me"; "revolting food"; "a wicked stench"
		ghoulish, morbid suggesting the horror of death and decay; "morbid details"
		hideous, horrid, horrific, outrageous so extremely ugly as to be terrifying; "a hideous scar"; "a repulsive mask"
		obnoxious, objectionable causing disapproval or protest; "a vulgar and objectionable person"
		rank growing profusely; "rank jungle vegetation"
		scrimy dirty and disgusting; "worry about the gossip and secretiveness and other scrimy sides"- Al Hine
offensive - for the purpose of attack rather than defense; "offensive weapons"
		defensive intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack; "defensive weapons"; "a defensive stance"
		aggressive having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends; "an aggressive businessman"; "an aggressive basketball player"; "he was aggressive and imperious; positive in his convictions"; "aggressive drivers"
		hostile unsolicited and resisted by the management of the target company ( used of attempts to buy or take control of a business); "hostile takeover"; "hostile tender offer"; "hostile bid"
		antipersonnel designed to inflict death or personal injury rather than material destruction
		assaultive, attacking disposed to attack
		tip-and-run, hit-and-run involving a driver of a motor vehicle who leaves the scene of an accident
		incursive, invading, invasive involving invasion or aggressive attack; "invasive war"
		marauding, raiding, predatory characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding; "bands of marauding Indians"; "predatory warfare"; "a raiding party"
offensive - causing anger or annoyance; "offensive remarks"
		unoffending, inoffensive not offending; "an unoffending motorist should not have been stopped"
		disrespectful exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous; "remarks disrespectful of the law"; "disrespectful in the presence of his parents"; "disrespectful toward his teacher"
		harmful causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking"
		odiousness, offensiveness, distastefulness the quality of being offensive
offensive - violating or tending to violate or offend against; "violative of the principles of liberty"; "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity"
		violative
		offending offending against or breaking a law or rule; "contracts offending against the statute were canceled"
offensive - causing or able to cause nausea; "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"
		nauseating, nauseous, noisome, queasy, loathsome, sickening, vile
		unwholesome detrimental to physical or moral well-being; "unwholesome food"; "unwholesome habits like smoking"
offensive - morally offensive; "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal"
		unsavory, unsavoury
		savory, savoury morally wholesome or acceptable; "a past that was scarcely savory"
offensive - substitute a harsher or distasteful term for a mild one ; "`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'"
		dysphemistic

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Wiktionary

offensive (Noun)
An attack.
offensive (Noun)
The posture of attacking or being able to attack.
offensive (Adjective)
Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.
offensive (Adjective)
Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
offensive (Adjective)
Having to do with play directed at scoring.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

offensive (a.)
Giving offense; causing displeasure or resentment; displeasing; annoying; as, offensive words.
offensive (a.)
Giving pain or unpleasant sensations; disagreeable; revolting; noxious; as, an offensive smell; offensive sounds.
offensive (a.)
Making the first attack; assailant; aggressive; hence, used in attacking; -- opposed to defensive; as, an offensive war; offensive weapons.
offensive (n.)
The state or posture of one who offends or makes attack; aggressive attitude; the act of the attacking party; -- opposed to defensive.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

offensive
Causing anger or annoyance.
offensive
A military attack.
offensive
Used to attack.

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

offensive
Used in attack; assailant; opposed to defensive; as, an offensive weapon or engine. Making the first attack; assailant; invading: opposed to defensive; as, an offensive war.