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highly offensive

highly offensive

2 6.6
Very rude and likely to make people feel angry or hurt
  • adjective
  • Offensive
translation icon : altamente ofensivo
  • I found your remarks highly offensive.
  • find it highly offensive
  • highly offensive to many people

Tristar says these claims are entirely false as well as highly offensive, damaging and unacceptable.

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Examples

  • Maher's overpopulation schtick is not only highly offensive; it is completely inaccurate.

    Blog text (28)
  • But your very conscious grouping of trans women with men and trans men is highly offensive to me.

    Blog text (15)
  • I could imagine that would be highly offensive to some.

    Blog text (5)
  • This is highly offensive, in my opinion.

    Blog text (15)
  • Now, we find the concept of digging up consecrated ground to be highly offensive.

  • I find this use of a targeted gender slur highly offensive.

    Blog text (16)
  • On September 13th, two days after the attack, Hillary Clinton said the video was highly offensive and reprehensible.

    Blog text (4)
  • Tristar says these claims are entirely false as well as highly offensive, damaging and unacceptable.

  • Instead of setting a civil tone and engaging in a responsible debate, Ms. Wys has stuck by comments that are inflammatory, highly offensive, and continue to demonstrate the deep-seated racism that abounds in Puerto Rican political and social discourse.

    Blog text (17)
  • I found your remarks highly offensive when you insulted my friend.

Synonyms

disgusting
vshighly offensive
531 1.3

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making you feel sick

is similar but centers on insulting or hurting rather than disgust alone
nasty
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
457 1.8

Words or actions that hurt people

is more intensely insulting and designed to provoke strong resentment
offensive
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
261 4.0

Likely to make people angry or upset

is stronger and more likely to cause deep resentment or hurt
outrageous
vshighly offensive
192 4.2

Shocking and very wrong in a way that upsets people

is more about deliberately insulting and hurting individuals emotionally
insulting
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
130 3.0

Being rude or saying things that hurt someone

is similar but stresses causing deep anger or hurt feelings
obnoxious
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
126 5.1

Very unpleasant in a way that makes people angry or upset

specifically targets personal hurt and strong anger rather than general unpleasantness
foul
vshighly offensive
  • NSFW
90 4.7

Containing rude or offensive language

focuses more on personal insult and deep emotional hurt
abusive
vshighly offensive
  • NSFW
70 4.9

Using insulting words or hurtful behavior toward another person

covers that harm but highlights the strong emotional hurt caused
crude
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
45 5.1

Being rude and offensive, often about sex

is stronger, aiming to insult or create deep resentment
repugnant
vshighly offensive
42 7.8

Very unpleasant and morally wrong to most people

is more about causing direct insult and strong anger
derogatory
vshighly offensive
39 6.9

Expressing an insulting, disrespectful view of someone or something

is stronger, being likely to deeply insult or hurt feelings
obscene
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
37 5.7

Very shocking and upsetting to many people because it breaks moral rules

is more about direct insult and personal hurt rather than moral shock
objectionable
vshighly offensive
31 6.7

Causing people to feel offended or want to protest

is harsher, directly insulting and likely to wound feelings deeply
distasteful
vshighly offensive
30 4.6

Something that makes people feel dislike or disgust

is harsher, intending to insult or cause strong resentment
abhorrent
vshighly offensive
23 7.7

Causing strong dislike or disgust because people see it as morally wrong

is more focused on insulting and causing deep anger or resentment
vulgar
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
22 6.5

Being rude and indecent in words or behaviour

is more about direct hurtful insults than general tastelessness
politically incorrect
vshighly offensive
  • NSFW
19 6.5

Words and actions that offend or exclude some people

focuses more on personal insult and provoking strong personal anger
scurrilous
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
10 9.9

Saying rude and untrue things to hurt someone's reputation

focuses more on causing intense anger or deep resentment
highly derogatory
vshighly offensive
  • Offensive
7.5

Very insulting and likely to deeply offend people

is equally intense but focuses on causing anger or resentment
disgustful
vshighly offensive
6.7

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making people feel sick

aims more at insulting and causing emotional pain rather than mere revulsion
highly insensitive
vshighly offensive
5.5

Being very uncaring about other people's feelings

acts similarly but centers on intentional insult and deep emotional harm

Antonyms

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

5 3.2

Not likely to upset or annoy people

How Offensive

outrageous
192 4.2
highly offensive
  • Offensive
2 6.6
offensive
  • Offensive
261 4.0
rude
594 1.0
inoffensive
5 3.2

Surface Forms

highly offensive positive

Morphology

highly + offensive

The meaning 'extremely insulting' is directly and compositionally derived from the intensifier 'highly' (extremely) modifying the adjective 'offensive' (insulting). This standard intensifier + adjective pattern is cross-linguistically common and easily predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Highly offensive paints a simple picture: imagine words that feel like an attack. The word offensive is like being hit by rude words and highly makes that hit much stronger, so the phrase means 'extremely insulting' or 'very hurtful'.