Skip to main content
offensive

offensive

261 4.0
Likely to make people angry or upset
  • adjective
  • /əˈfɛnsɪv/
  • Offensive
translation icon : ofensivo
  • Many people found the comedian's jokes to be offensive and inappropriate.
  • offensive language
  • offensive remarks
  • offensive behavior

You don't have to be offensive to be honest.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Sal, that is so comprehensively offensive I barely know where to start.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Allen, would you tell your father how offensive that is?

  • I I find that offensive, to be honest with you.

  • At the time, I found it offensive that he would doubt what I told him.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • How is that not offensive?

  • There was, in fact, nothing about Mr. Dorset that was not offensive to the women.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • And what he said is one of the more offensive things that I've heard.

  • You don't have to be offensive to be honest.

  • I consider your language coarse and your manners offensive.

  • I sincerely hope you find this as deeply offensive and disturbing as I do.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

disgusting
vsoffensive
531 1.3

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making you feel sick

covers that revulsion but also nonphysical anger or shock
nasty
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
457 1.8

Words or actions that hurt people

is less personal and can include general annoyance or shock
insulting
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
130 3.0

Being rude or saying things that hurt someone

is more general, covering many ways people feel upset or shocked
obnoxious
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
126 5.1

Very unpleasant in a way that makes people angry or upset

is similar but focuses more on causing anger or moral shock
foul
vsoffensive
  • NSFW
90 4.7

Containing rude or offensive language

is broader, covering many causes of anger or moral shock
abusive
vsoffensive
  • NSFW
70 4.9

Using insulting words or hurtful behavior toward another person

can describe nonverbal or moral causes of upset as well
crude
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
45 5.1

Being rude and offensive, often about sex

is wider, including deliberate insult or moral shock too
repugnant
vsoffensive
42 7.8

Very unpleasant and morally wrong to most people

is less specific about moral depth and can be milder
obscene
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
33 6.2

Sexually rude and offensive to many people

is more general and applies beyond sexual or moral indecency
objectionable
vsoffensive
31 6.7

Causing people to feel offended or want to protest

is broader and also includes causes of anger or shock
distasteful
vsoffensive
30 4.6

Something that makes people feel dislike or disgust

is broader, stressing emotional upset or moral shock more clearly
unsavory
vsoffensive
  • US
29 7.2

Something people think is morally wrong or dishonest

is wider, meaning it can anger or annoy beyond moral concerns
abhorrent
vsoffensive
23 7.7

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

is broader, including milder annoyance as well as moral shock
vulgar
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
22 6.5

Being rude and indecent in words or behaviour

can also mean causing upset through other, non-tasteful ways
politically incorrect
vsoffensive
  • NSFW
19 6.5

Words and actions that offend or exclude some people

is more general, covering any cause of anger or moral shock
incendiary
vsoffensive
  • Literature
13 7.9

Likely to make people angry and cause public protest

is broader and includes upset without intent to provoke others
highly offensive
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
2 6.6

Very rude and likely to make people feel angry or hurt

is broader, causing upset or moral shock without extreme insult
highly derogatory
vsoffensive
  • Offensive
7.5

Very insulting and likely to deeply offend people

is wider, meaning it can upset people without direct insult
disgustful
vsoffensive
6.7

Causing a strong feeling of dislike or making people feel sick

includes such feelings but can also mean simple annoyance

Antonyms

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

18 1.0

Pleasant to be with or to experience

5 3.2

Not likely to upset or annoy people

Idioms

Actively attacking an opponent instead of defending

Begin attacking or acting aggressively to gain an advantage

Compounds

highly offensive
  • Offensive
2 6.6

Very rude and likely to make people feel angry or hurt

1 9.5

A rude word or phrase that insults people for being in a certain group

A large 1918 American attack led by General Pershing, the biggest US operation in World War I

A large Allied attack in World War I where American troops pushed German armies back

offensive activity
  • Offensive
6.3

Bad behavior that shows little respect and hurts others

How Offensive

outrageous
192 4.2
insulting
  • Offensive
130 3.0
offensive
  • Offensive
261 4.0
mild
107 1.0
inoffensive
5 3.2

Surface Forms

offensive positive

Morphology

offensive = offend (transparent) = offend + ive

Standard adjectival formation from 'offend' meaning 'to cause upset', so learners who know 'offend' can infer 'causing to offend'.

Etymology

Offensive comes from the old Latin word offendere meaning 'to strike against'. A helpful way to remember the sense 'causing anger' is to think of an offensive remark as something that 'strikes' or hurts a person's feelings, which is why it upsets people.