offensive

[əˈfɛnsɪv]

offensive Definition

• 1. causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry
• 2. relating to the team that has possession of the ball or puck in a game

Using offensive: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "offensive" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  His comments were deeply offensive to many people.

• Example

  The team's offensive strategy was to keep the ball moving quickly.

• Example

  I found her behavior towards me to be quite offensive.

offensive Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for offensive

• insulting
• abusive
• rude
• disrespectful
• provocative

Antonyms for offensive

• inoffensive
• harmless
• innocuous

Phrases with offensive

• take offense

  to feel insulted or hurt by something

  Example

  She took offense at his comments about her appearance.

• give offense

  to say or do something that causes someone to feel insulted or hurt

  Example

  He didn't mean to give offense, but his comments were insensitive.

• offensive line

  the group of players on a football team who are responsible for protecting the quarterback and blocking the defense

  Example

  The offensive line did a great job of keeping the defense away from the quarterback.

Origins of offensive

from Old French 'offensif', from Latin 'offensivus', from 'offensus' (past participle of 'offendere'), meaning 'strike against'

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Summary: offensive in Brief

The term 'offensive' [əˈfɛnsɪv] describes something that causes deep hurt, upset, or anger. It can refer to behavior, comments, or actions. In sports, it refers to the team that has possession of the ball or puck. Examples include 'His comments were deeply offensive to many people.' and 'The team's offensive strategy was to keep the ball moving quickly.'