1
as in disgusting
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
I find your disrespectful attitude toward religion very offensive the smell of rotting food is quite offensive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obnoxious
provoking or likely to provoke protest
insensitive, offensive remarks about the plight of the homeless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the primary offensive by the ground forces will commence at dawn tomorrow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offensive
Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Robert's minimal offensive production has been the Achilles' heel for any trade.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 July 2025
The attacks killed two and injured 16, and followed 10 days of drone strikes, which have often broken single-night records -- and have marked a shift as Russia continues its summer offensive.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews played 17 seasons with a single franchise, playing five positions along the offensive line and earning All-Pro honors at three.
—Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Robert's minimal offensive production has been the Achilles' heel for any trade.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Noun
In the nearly two years since, more than 55,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s subsequent military offensive against Hamas, while countless more Palestinian refugees have faced widespread hunger and homelessness.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 July 2025
The attacks killed two and injured 16, and followed 10 days of drone strikes, which have often broken single-night records -- and have marked a shift as Russia continues its summer offensive.
—Chris Boccia, ABC News, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
That being cold is cool and being hot with a side of humidity is rather disgusting.—
Sherry Kuehl,
Kansas City Star,
16 July 2025
-
Nearly 200 pounds of disgusting mats and fur was removed, which equates to an average of 1.5 pounds per dog.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Advertisement Homer auditions for the voice of the obnoxious canine and lands the gig.—
Keith Murphy,
Time,
24 July 2025
-
She’s caught between her perfect match Harry (Pedro Pascal) and her obnoxious ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans).—
Rudie Obias,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
The restaurant was a favorite hangout of the Gilbert Goons and the site of seven parking lot attacks, according to beating videos, interviews and police records.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
-
His campaign has said Trump's online attacks often result in new campaign donors.—
Jolene Almendarez,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
In 1965 Martin got into an ugly battle with President Lyndon B. Johnson.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
In 1996, Cantor died, and Lutnick, after an ugly succession battle with Cantor’s widow, Iris, took control.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
In his short stint in Scranton, that number has come down a hair, but still resides at an unacceptable 29.4%.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
-
Mistakes should not be viewed as failures or unacceptable setbacks, but rather as calculated risks—necessary steps in the iterative journey of progress.—
Davide Sartini,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
The details of a raid can be useful for the non-citzen’s legal case.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
19 July 2025
-
These are parents who may lose health care coverage, immigrants afraid of being swept up in a raid, families who count on assistance programs to feed their children.—
State Sen. MD Rahman,
Hartford Courant,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pictures of Piper the dog, who last year went through an awful health scare after having a rawhide treat.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
-
That’s a horrible way to feel, and an awful way for fans to treat her.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Ryan MacDonald, chief technology officer at Liquid Web, attributes the disturbing, confusing and objectionable content to guardrails not properly built or updated.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
After some back-and-forth posts over the weekend, Moreland accused Bryan of inappropriate and objectionable behavior.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share