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
Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
On Day 2 of the draft, the Vikings chose 6-8, 320-pound offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan from Northwestern.
—Charley Walters, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
You are not allowed to bring idols for worship, religious material offensive to Islam, pork, or pork products into the country.
—Shradha Shahani, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Adjective
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the offensive MVP after completing 16 of 27 passes for 186 yards and rushing for an iconic 12-yard touchdown.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
On Day 2 of the draft, the Vikings chose 6-8, 320-pound offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan from Northwestern.
—Charley Walters, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Noun
Scientists in Florida have launched a new offensive against the Burmese python invasion, this time using opossums, one of the giant snake’s favorite prey.
—Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
You are not allowed to bring idols for worship, religious material offensive to Islam, pork, or pork products into the country.
—Shradha Shahani, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for offensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensive
Adjective
-
What a disgusting story all around.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President #2.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether the obnoxious popup will end up being a wise move for the company is anything but clear.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Good firm with good people to work with, meaningful and intellectually stimulating work, satisfied and not-overly-obnoxious clients.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The most expensive Republican primary for governor in Georgia history is still a dead heat despite a staggering avalanche of ad spending and one of the ugliest intraparty fights in recent memory.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Our current contractor’s price proposal and timeline to finish the bridge was unreasonable and unacceptable.—
Katie Thomson,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
-
What happened was unacceptable.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Detroit turned up the heat on defense while Orlando’s offense came to a complete halt.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Stearns stuck him with an aging hitter who didn’t have spring training in Tommy Pham to try to jumpstart the offense and give Mendoza a bench piece that could hit left-handed pitching.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
And there was going to be an awful lot of emotional resonance and relatability with today’s generation of young women with Mary Bennet, more so than there would be [with Elizabeth Bennet.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
-
The mother-haver at Forster’s school could never trust in the safety of his awful secret.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
But mostly the dismissal of Hathaway’s grand clownery in this was transferred hatred for the objectionable movie itself.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Among the art conservatives found objectionable was artist Andres Serrano’s photograph titled Piss Christ featuring a plastic crucifix in a tawny liquid the artist described as his own urine.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensive. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
