1. Morally repugnant or distasteful; causing disgust or strong disapproval
   "he made a offensive joke about the tragedy";
   - unsavory [US], unsavoury [Brit, Cdn], sick, sickening, nauseating, loathsome
    
2. Causing anger, displeasure, or insult; unpleasant or objectionable
   "His offensive remarks upset everyone"
    
3. Violating or tending to violate or offend against
   "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity";
   - violative
    
4. For the purpose of attack rather than defence
   "offensive weapons"
    
5. Unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses
   "offensive odours"

1. An attacking strategy or action, especially in sports or military operations
   "The army launched an offensive at dawn";
   - offense [US], offence [Brit, Cdn]

Derived forms: offensives

See also: abhorrent, absonant [archaic], abusive, aggressive, antipersonnel, assaultive, attacking, charnel, creepy, despicable, detestable, disgustful [archaic], disgusting, disrespectful, distastefulness, evil, foul, ghastly, ghoulish, gross-out [informal], harmful, hateful, hideous, hit-and-run, horrid, horrific, hostile, incursive, invading, invasive, loathful [archaic], loathly [literary], loathsome, marauding, morbid, nauseating, objectionable, obnoxious, obscene, odiousness, offending, offensiveness, on the offensive, opprobrious, outrageous, predatory, raiding, rank, repellant, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scurrilous, sepulchral, sickening, slimy, tip-and-run, ugly, unpalatable, unpleasant, unworthy, verminous, vile, wicked, worthless, wretched, yucky [informal], yukky [informal]

Type of: military operation, op [informal], operation

Antonym: defensive, inoffensive

Encyclopedia: Offensive