offensiveadjective
uk/əˈfen.sɪv/us/əˈfen.sɪv/offensive adjective (UPSETTING)
B2 causing offence:
This programme contains language that some viewers might find offensive.
He told some really offensive sexist jokes.
Opposite
inoffensive
unpleasant:
offensive smells
More examples
- We've received a complaint from one of our listeners about offensive language.
- He found her comments deeply offensive.
- Norman agreed that the wording of the advertisement was unnecessarily offensive and it was changed.
- The word 'lady' has connotations of refinement and excessive femininity that some women find offensive.
- There were those who found the joke offensive, but Johnson insisted it was just a bit of harmless fun.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Rude and cheeky
- backchat
- bold
- cheeky
- chutzpah
- cocksure
- cocky
- fruity
- gobby
- impertinent
- liberty
- lip
- lippy
- mouthy
- neanderthal
- personally
- presumptuous
- sass
- sick
- smart mouth
- unpleasant
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Serious and unpleasant
offensive adjective (ATTACKING)
used for attacking:
Since the other side had taken offensive action (= attacked), we had no choice but to defend ourselves.
Knives of any kind are classed as offensive weapons.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Violent or aggressive
- aggressive
- aggro
- all hell breaks loose idiom
- atrocious
- atrocity
- confrontation
- flex your muscles idiom
- forced
- forcible
- frenzied
- gay-basher
- hostile
- road rage
- running with blood idiom
- sabre-rattling
- savage
- savagely
- savagery
- steep
- steeped in blood idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Arms & munitions in general
offensively
adverb uk/əˈfen.sɪv.li/us/əˈfen.sɪv.li/
offensiveness
noun [ U ] uk/əˈfen.sɪv.nəs/us/əˈfen.sɪv.nəs/
offensivenoun [ C ]
uk/əˈfen.sɪv/us/əˈfen.sɪv/a planned military attack:
They launched the land offensive in the middle of the night.
UN troops have gone on the offensive (= started to attack).
take the offensive
to attack first
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Attacking & invading
- ambush
- beleaguer
- beleaguered
- blitz
- blitz
- cyberwarfare
- engage
- engagement
- going-over
- incursion
- invade
- invader
- reducer
- relieve
- rip into sb/sth
- rush
- sack
- sacking
- sally
- sortie
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