What is the antonym of “defensative”?
The antonyms of defensive are offensive, aggressive, and attacking. These words describe a different approach to dealing with a situation, where defensive means protecting oneself from harm or danger, while offensive, aggressive, and attacking mean taking action to cause harm or gain an advantage.
Brief Definitions of the Antonym(s)
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
Causing someone to feel hurt, angry, or upset; attacking.
Example
His offensive remarks about her appearance made her feel self-conscious.
Ready or likely to attack or confront; forceful in pursuing one's goals.
Example
The team played with an aggressive strategy, constantly pushing forward and attacking the opponent's defense.
Taking action to cause harm or damage; aggressive.
Example
The army launched an attacking campaign to capture the enemy's stronghold.
How are these antonyms different from each other?
- 1Offensive implies causing harm or offense to others, while defensive implies protecting oneself from harm.
- 2Aggressive implies a forceful pursuit of one's goals, while defensive implies a reactive approach to a situation.
- 3Attacking implies taking action to cause harm or damage, while defensive implies taking measures to prevent harm or damage.
Good things to know
- 1Sports: Use offensive, aggressive, and attacking to describe a team's strategy in sports.
- 2Business: Use defensive to describe a company's measures to protect itself from competition, and offensive to describe a company's actions to gain market share.
- 3Politics: Use defensive to describe a country's measures to protect itself from external threats, and attacking to describe a country's military actions against another country.
Remember this!
The antonyms of defensive are offensive, aggressive, and attacking. These words have distinct meanings: Offensive implies causing harm or offense, aggressive implies a forceful pursuit of goals, and attacking implies taking action to cause harm. Use these words in different contexts such as sports, business, and politics to convey different approaches to a situation.
