What is the antonym of “defense”?
The antonyms of defense are attack and offense. The antonyms attack and offense convey a completely opposite meaning to defense. They imply an aggressive action taken against someone or something.
Brief Definitions of the Antonym(s)
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
An aggressive and violent action taken against someone or something.
Example
The army launched a surprise attack on the enemy's base.
Example
He was brutally attacked by a group of thugs on his way home.
An aggressive action taken against someone or something.
Example
The coach changed the team's offense to a more aggressive style to score more points.
Example
His rude comments were taken as an offense by many people.
How are these antonyms different from each other?
- 1Attack is a more general term that describes an aggressive and violent action taken against someone or something.
- 2Offense is a term used in sports to describe a team or player's attacking strategy, but it can also be used to describe an aggressive action taken against someone or something.
Good things to know
- 1Sports: Use offense to describe a team or player's attacking strategy.
- 2Military: Use attack to describe an aggressive and violent action taken against the enemy.
- 3Legal: Use defense to describe the argument made by a defendant in court, and offense to describe the argument made by the prosecution.