offensive
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.rude, insulting, or likely to make people feel angry or upset.
adj.causing resentment, indignation, or moral outrage; violating social or ethical standards of conduct.
Simple“The comedian's jokes were so offensive that many people walked out of the show.”
In context“The editor removed several offensive passages from the manuscript to ensure the book complied with the publisher's sensitivity guidelines.”
UsageOften used with 'to' when identifying the group affected, such as 'offensive to many people'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used for or related to an attack rather than defending.
adj.relating to or designed for an attack; characterized by active aggression rather than resistance.
Simple“The army used offensive weapons to break through the enemy's walls.”
In context“The general shifted the battalion into an offensive position, preparing for a coordinated strike against the fortified ridge.”
UsageCommonly used in military and sports contexts as the opposite of 'defensive'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large, planned attack, especially in a war or a game.
n.a large-scale, planned military operation or a sustained campaign to achieve a specific goal.
Simple“The government launched a new offensive against the rebels in the mountains.”
In context“The spring offensive was designed to reclaim lost territory before the rainy season made the roads impassable for heavy vehicles.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'launch', 'start', or 'lead'.
“The war began with a US and Israel-led offensive on February 28.”
“It’s also much too cartoonish to be in any way offensive.”
From Middle French offensif, from offendre + -if by analogy with défensif. Offendre is from Latin offendere (“to offend”); see offend.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.