offensive

/əˈfɛnsɪv/

/ˈɔfɛnsɪv/

Other forms: offensives

Offensive describes rude or hurtful behavior, or a military or sports incursion into an opponent's territory. In any context, "on the offensive" means on the attack.

Although offense and defense are opposites, offensive and defensive aren't always. Defensive can mean anxiously challenging of all criticism. Offensive can mean not just attacking someone or something, but belching, insulting people, or otherwise not respecting common standards of behavior.

Definitions of offensive

1. adjective

   unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses
   “offensive odors”

   synonyms:

   evil

   morally bad or wrong

   hateful

   evoking or deserving hatred

   abhorrent, detestable, obscene, repugnant, repulsive

   offensive to the mind

   charnel, ghastly, sepulchral

   gruesomely indicative of death or the dead

   creepy

   annoying and unpleasant

   disgustful, disgusting, distasteful, foul, loathly, loathsome, repellant, repellent, repelling, revolting, skanky, wicked, yucky

   highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust

   ghoulish, morbid

   suggesting the horror of death and decay

   hideous, horrid, horrific, outrageous

   grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

   objectionable, obnoxious

   causing disapproval or protest

   rank

   very offensive in smell or taste

   scrimy

   dirty and disgusting

   verminous

   of the nature of vermin; very offensive or repulsive

   unpalatable

   not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind

   unpleasant

   disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings

   antonyms:

   inoffensive

   giving no offense

   anodyne, innocuous, unobjectionable

   not causing disapproval
2. adjective

   causing or able to cause nausea
   synonyms: loathsome, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, queasy, sickening, vile

   unwholesome

   detrimental to physical or moral well-being
3. adjective

   causing anger or annoyance
   “offensive remarks”

   synonyms:

   harmful

   causing or capable of causing harm

   abusive, opprobrious, scurrilous

   expressing offensive reproach

   disrespectful

   exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous

   antonyms:

   inoffensive

   not causing anger or annoyance

   offenceless, offenseless

   incapable of offending or attacking
4. adjective

   substitute a harsher or distasteful term for a mild one
   synonyms: dysphemistic
5. adjective

   violating or tending to violate or offend against
   “considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity”

   synonyms: violative

   offending

   offending against or breaking a law or rule
6. adjective

   morally offensive
   synonyms: unsavory, unsavoury

   odoriferous

   morally offensive
7. adjective

   for the purpose of attack rather than defense
   “offensive weapons”

   synonyms:

   aggressive

   having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends

   hostile

   characterized by enmity or ill will

   antipersonnel

   designed to inflict death or personal injury rather than material destruction

   assaultive, attacking

   disposed to attack

   hit-and-run, tip-and-run

   designed for or consisting of a brief attack followed by a quick escape

   incursive, invading, invasive

   involving invasion or aggressive attack

   marauding, predatory, raiding

   characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding

   on the offensive

   actively attacking

   antonyms:

   defensive

   intended or appropriate for defending against or deterring aggression or attack

   antiaircraft

   designed for defense from a surface position against air attack

   antisubmarine

   defensive against enemy submarines

   antitank

   designed for defense against armored vehicles

   defending

   attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring

   en garde

   (fencing) in a defensive stance

   protective

   intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind
8. noun

   the action of attacking an enemy
   synonyms: offence, offense

   types:

   counteroffensive

   a large scale offensive (more than a counterattack) undertaken by a defending force to seize the initiative from an attacking force

   dirty war

   an offensive conducted by secret police or the military of a regime against revolutionary and terrorist insurgents and marked by the use of kidnapping and torture and murder with civilians often being the victims

   push back, rollback

   the act of forcing the enemy to withdraw

   type of:

   military operation, operation

   activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign)