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CIDE DICTIONARY
OXFORD DICTIONARY
DEVIL DICTIONARY
THESAURUS
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offensive
CIDE DICTIONARY
offensive, a. [Cf. F. offensif. See Offend.].
- Giving offense; causing displeasure or resentment; displeasing; annoying; as, offensive words. [1913 Webster]
- Giving pain or unpleasant sensations; disagreeable; revolting; noxious; as, an offensive smell; offensive sounds. Bacon. [1913 Webster]
- Making the first attack; assailant; aggressive; hence, used in attacking; -- opposed to
defensive ; as, an offensive war; offensive weapons. [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Displeasing; disagreeable; distasteful; obnoxious; abhorrent; disgusting; impertinent; rude; saucy; reproachful; opprobrious; insulting; insolent; abusive; scurrilous; assailant; attacking; invading.
offensive, n.
The state or posture of one who offends or makes attack; aggressive attitude; the act of the attacking party; -- opposed to defensive . [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
offensive, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 giving or meant or likely to give offence; insulting (offensive language).
2 disgusting, foul-smelling, nauseous, repulsive.
3 a aggressive, attacking. b (of a weapon) meant for use in attack.
--n.
1 an aggressive action or attitude (take the offensive).
2 an attack, an offensive campaign or stroke.
3 aggressive or forceful action in pursuit of a cause (a peace offensive).
--adj.
1 giving or meant or likely to give offence; insulting (offensive language).
2 disgusting, foul-smelling, nauseous, repulsive.
3 a aggressive, attacking. b (of a weapon) meant for use in attack.
--n.
1 an aggressive action or attitude (take the offensive).
2 an attack, an offensive campaign or stroke.
3 aggressive or forceful action in pursuit of a cause (a peace offensive).
Derivative
offensively adv. offensiveness n.
Etymology
F offensif -ive or med.L offensivus (as OFFENCE)
DEVIL DICTIONARY
offensive
adj. Generating disagreeable emotions or sensations, as the advance of an army against its enemy."Were the enemy's tactics offensive?" the king asked. "I should say so!" replied the unsuccessful general. "The blackguard wouldn't come out of his works!"
THESAURUS
offensive
Fescennine, Rabelaisian, abhorrent, abominable, abusive, aggravated assault, aggression, aggressive, amphibious attack, antagonistic, appalling, armed assault, arrant, assailing, assailment, assault, atrocious, attack, attacking, awful, backhand, backhanded, bad, bad-smelling, banzai attack, barfy, base, battling, bawdy, beastly, bellicose, belligerent, below contempt, beneath contempt, blameworthy, blitz, blitzkrieg, bloodthirsty, bloody, bloody-minded, blue, boorish, brackish, breakthrough, brutal, caddish, calumnious, charge, chauvinist, chauvinistic, chintzy, cloying, coarse, combative, contemptible, contentious, contumelious, counterattack, counteroffensive, coup de main, crippling attack, crude, dead set at, degrading, deplorable, descent on, despicable, detestable, dire, dirty, disagreeable, discourteous, disgusting, displeasing, disrespectful, diversion, diversionary attack, dreadful, drive, egregious, enemy, enormous, evil, execrable, fecal, ferocious, fetid, fierce, fighting, filthy, flagrant, flank attack, forbidding, foul, foul-mouthed, foul-spoken, foul-tongued, frightful, frontal attack, frowsty, frowy, frowzy, full of fight, fulsome, funky, fusty, gamy, gas attack, ghastly, graveolent, grievous, grim, grisly, gross, gruesome, hateful, hawkish, head-on attack, heinous, hideous, high, horrible, horrid, hostile, humiliating, icky, ignoble, ill-bred, ill-smelling, impertinent, impolite, improper, impudent, impure, in bad taste, inappropriate, inconsiderate, indecent, indecorous, indelicate, inelegant, infamous, infiltration, inimical, insensitive, insolent, insulting, ithyphallic, jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, lamentable, left-handed, lewd, lightning attack, lightning war, loathsome, lousy, loutish, louty, lurid, maggoty, malodorous, martial, mass attack, mawkish, megadeath, mephitic, miasmal, miasmic, mildewed, mildewy, militant, militaristic, military, moldy, monstrous, mugging, musty, nasty, nauseant, nauseating, nauseous, nefarious, nidorous, noisome, notorious, noxious, objectionable, obnoxious, obscene, odious, odorous, offense, olid, on the offensive, onset, onslaught, outrageous, overkill, overripe, panzer warfare, pitiable, pitiful, poisonous, pornographic, provocative, pugnacious, push, putrescent, putrid, quarrelsome, rancid, rank, raunchy, reasty, reasy, rebarbative, reechy, reeking, reeky, regrettable, repellent, repelling, reprehensible, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, ribald, rotten, rude, run against, run at, rush, saber-rattling, sad, salacious, sally, sanguinary, sanguineous, savage, scandalous, schlock, scrappy, scurrile, scurrilous, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shock tactics, shocking, shoddy, sickening, smellful, smelling, smelly, smoking-room, smutty, soldierlike, soldierly, sordid, sortie, spoiled, squalid, stenchy, stinking, strike, strong, stuffy, sulfurous, sultry, tactless, tasteless, terrible, threatening, too bad, trigger-happy, truculent, unappetizing, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unchaste, uncivil, unclean, uncongenial, undignified, unfeminine, unfitting, unfriendly, ungenteel, ungentle, ungentlemanly, ungrateful, unladylike, unmannerly, unpacific, unpalatable, unpeaceable, unpeaceful, unpleasant, unprintable, unprovoked assault, unrefined, unrepeatable, unsavory, unseemly, unsolicitous, unspeakable, unsuitable, untasteful, unwholesome, vile, villainous, vomity, vulgar, warlike, warmongering, warring, weevily, woeful, worst, worthless, wretched, yuckyROGET THESAURUS
offensive
Uncleanness
N uncleanness, impurity, immundity, immundicity, impurity, defilement, contamination, defoedation, soilure, soiliness, abomination, leaven, taint, tainture, fetor, decay, putrescence, putrefaction, corruption, mold, must, mildew, dry rot, mucor, rubigo, slovenry, slovenliness, squalor, dowdy, drab, slut, malkin, slattern, sloven, slammerkin, slammock, slummock, scrub, draggle-tail, mudlark, dust-man, sweep, beast, dirt, filth, soil, slop, dust, cobweb, flue, smoke, soot, smudge, smut, grit, grime, raff, sossle, sozzle, sordes, dregs, grounds, lees, argol, sediment, settlement heeltap, dross, drossiness, mother, precipitate, scoriae, ashes, cinders, recrement, slag, scum, froth, hogwash, ditchwater, dishwater, bilgewater, rinsings, cheeseparings, sweepings, offscourings, outscourings, off scum, caput mortuum, residuum, sprue, fecula, clinker, draff, scurf, scurfiness, exuviae, morphea, fur, furfur, dandruff, tartar, riffraff, vermin, louse, flea, bug, chinch, mud, mire, quagmire, alluvium, silt, sludge, slime, slush, slosh, sposh, spawn, offal, gurry, lientery, garbage, carrion, excreta, slough, peccant humor, pus, matter, suppuration, lienteria, faeces, feces, excrement, ordure, dung, crap, shit, sewage, sewerage, muck, coprolite, guano, manure, compost, dunghill, colluvies, mixen, midden, bog, laystall, sink, privy, jakes, toilet, john, head, cess, cesspool, sump, sough, cloaca, latrines, drain, sewer, common sewer, Cloacina, dust hole, sty, pigsty, lair, den, Augean stable, sink of corruption, slum, rookery, dirty, filthy, grimy, unclean, impure, soiled, not to be handled with kid gloves, dusty, snuffy, smutty, sooty, smoky, thick, turbid, dreggy, slimy, mussy, slovenly, untidy, messy, uncleanly, unkempt, sluttish, dowdy, draggle-tailed, uncombed, unscoured, unswept, unwiped, unwashed, unstrained, unpurified, squalid, lutose, slammocky, slummocky, sozzly, nasty, coarse, foul, offensive, abominable, beastly, reeky, reechy, fetid, decayed, moldy, musty, mildewed, rusty, moth-eaten, mucid, rancid, weak, bad, gone bad, etercoral, lentiginous, touched, fusty, effete, reasty, rotten, corrupt, tainted, high, flyblown, maggoty, putrid, putrefactive, putrescent, putrefied, saprogenic, saprogenous, purulent, carious, peccant, fecal, feculent, stercoraceous, excrementitious, scurfy, scurvy, impetiginous, gory, bloody, rotting, rotten as a pear, rotten as cheese, crapulous, gross, fimetarious, fimicolous, they that touch pitch will be defiled.Attack
N attack, assault, assault and battery, onset, onslaught, charge, aggression, offense, incursion, inroad, invasion, irruption, outbreak, estrapade, ruade, coupe de main, sally, sortie, camisade, raid, foray, run at, run against, dead set at, storm, storming, boarding, escalade, siege, investment, obsession, bombardment, cannonade, fire, volley, platoon fire, file fire, fusillade, sharpshooting, broadside, raking fire, cross fire, volley of grapeshot, whiff of the grape, feu d'enfer, cut, thrust, lunge, pass, passado, carte and tierce, home thrust, coupe de bec, kick, punch, battue, razzia, Jacquerie, dragonnade, devastation, eboulement, assailant, aggressor, invader, base of operations, point of attack, echelon, attacking, aggressive, offensive, obsidional, up in arms, on the offensive, Int, up and at them!, the din of arms, the yell of savage rage, the shriek of agony, the groan of death, their fatal hands no second stroke intend, thirst for glory quells the love of life.Painfulness
N painfulness, trouble, care, trial, affliction, infliction, blow, stroke, burden, load, curse, bitter pill, bitter draught, waters of bitterness, annoyance, grievance, nuisance, vexation, mortification, sickener, bore, bother, pother, hot water, sea of troubles, hornet's nest, plague, pest, cancer, ulcer, sting, thorn, canker, scorpion, dagger, scourge, carking care, canker worm of care, mishap, misfortune, desagrement, esclandre, rub, source of irritation, source of annoyance, wound, open sore, sore subject, skeleton in the closet, thorn in the flesh, thorn in one's side, where the shoe pinches, gall and wormwood, sorry sight, heavy news, provocation, affront, head and front of one's offending, infestation, molestation, malignity, causing pain, hurting, hurtful, painful, dolorific, dolorous, unpleasant, unpleasing, displeasing, disagreeable, unpalatable, bitter, distasteful, uninviting, unwelcome, undesirable, undesired, obnoxious, unacceptable, unpopular, thankless, unsatisfactory, untoward, unlucky, uncomfortable, distressing, afflicting, afflictive, joyless, cheerless, comfortless, dismal, disheartening, depressing, depressive, dreary, melancholy, grievous, piteous, woeful, rueful, mournful, deplorable, pitiable, lamentable, sad, affecting, touching, pathetic, irritating, provoking, stinging, annoying, aggravating, mortifying, galling, unaccommodating, invidious, vexatious, troublesome, tiresome, irksome, wearisome, plaguing, plaguy, awkward, importunate, teasing, pestering, bothering, harassing, worrying, tormenting, carking, intolerable, insufferable, insupportable, unbearable, unendurable, past bearing, not to be borne, not to be endured, more than flesh and blood can bear, enough to drive one mad, enough to provoke a saint, enough to make a parson swear, enough to gag a maggot, shocking, terrific, grim, appalling, crushing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, thrilling, tremendous, dire, heart-breaking, heart-rending, heart-wounding, heart-corroding, heart-sickening, harrowing, rending, odious, hateful, execrable, repulsive, repellent, abhorrent, horrid, horrible, horrific, horrifying, offensive, nauseous, nauseating, disgusting, sickening, revolting, nasty, loathsome, loathful, fulsome, vile, hideous, sharp, acute, sore, severe, grave, hard, harsh, cruel, biting, caustic, cutting, corroding, consuming, racking, excruciating, searching, grinding, grating, agonizing, envenomed, catheretic, pyrotic, ruinous, disastrous, calamitous, tragical, desolating, withering, burdensome, onerous, oppressive, cumbrous, cumbersome, painfully, with pain, deuced, Int, hinc illae lachrymae!, surgit amari aliquid, the place being too hot to hold one, the iron entering into the soul, he jests at scars that never felt a wound, I must be cruel only to be kind, what deep wounds ever closed without a scar?.Dislike
N dislike, distaste, disrelish, disinclination, displacency, reluctance, backwardness, repugnance, disgust, queasiness, turn, nausea, loathing, averseness, aversation, aversion, abomination, antipathy, abhorrence, horror, mortal antipathy, rooted antipathy, mortal horror, rooted horror, hatred, detestation, hate, animosity, hydrophobia, canine madness, byssa, xenophobia, sickener, gall and wormwood, shuddering, cold sweat, disliking, averse from, loathe, loathe to, loth, adverse, shy of, sick of, out of conceit with, disinclined, heartsick, dogsick, queasy, disliked, uncared for, unpopular, out of favor, repulsive, repugnant, repellant, abhorrent, insufferable, fulsome, nauseous, loathsome, loathful, offensive, disgusting, disagreeable c, (painful), usque ad nauseam, Int, faugh!, foh!, ugh!, non libet.Hate
N hate, hatred, vials of hate, disaffection, disfavor, alienation, estrangement, coolness, enmity, animosity, umbrage, pique, grudge, dudgeon, spleen bitterness, bitterness of feeling, ill blood, bad blood, acrimony, malice, implacability, repugnance, misanthropy, demonophobia, gynephobia, negrophobia, odium, unpopularity, detestation, antipathy, object of hatred, object of execration, abomination, aversion, b=ete noire, enemy, bitter pill, source of annoyance, hating, abhorrent, averse from, set against, bitter, implacable, unloved, unbeloved, unlamented, undeplored, unmourned, uncared for, unendeared, un-valued, disliked, crossed in love, forsaken, rejected, lovelorn, jilted, obnoxious, hateful, odious, abominable, repulsive, offensive, shocking, disgusting, reprehensible, invidious, spiteful, malicious, insulting, irritating, provoking, at daggers drawn, not on speaking terms, at loggerheads, no love lost between.Unsavoriness
N unsavoriness, amaritude, acrimony, acridity (bitterness), roughness, acerbity, austerity, gall and wormwood, rue, quassia, aloes, marah, sickener, unsavory, unpalatable, unsweetened, unsweet, ill-flavored, bitter, bitter as gall, acrid, acrimonious, rough, offensive, repulsive, nasty, sickening, nauseous, loathsome, fulsome, unpleasant.Fetor
N fetor, bad, smell, bad odor, stench, stink, foul odor, malodor, empyreuma, mustiness, rancidity, foulness, stoat, polecat, skunk, assafoetida, fungus, garlic, stinkpot, fitchet, fitchew, fourmart, peccary, acridity, fetid, strong-smelling, high, bad, strong, fulsome, offensive, noisome, rank, rancid, reasty, tainted, musty, fusty, frouzy, olid, olidous, nidorous, smelling, stinking, putrid, suffocating, mephitic, empyreumatic.For further exploring for "offensive" in Webster Dictionary Online