adjective
- causing resentful displeasure; highly irritating, angering, or annoying: offensive television commercials.
- unpleasant or disagreeable to the sense: an offensive odor.
- repugnant to the moral sense, good taste, or the like; insulting: an offensive remark; an offensive joke.
- pertaining to offense or attack: the offensive movements of their troops.
- characterized by attack; aggressive: offensive warfare.
noun
- the position or attitude of aggression or attack: to take the offensive.
- an aggressive movement or attack: a carefully planned naval offensive.
adjective
- unpleasant or disgusting, as to the senses
- causing anger or annoyance; insulting
- for the purpose of attack rather than defence
noun
- the offensive an attitude or position of aggression
- an assault, attack, or military initiative, esp a strategic one
adj.“attacking” (1540s), “insulting” (1570s), both from Middle French offensif (16c.) and directly from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offens-, past participle stem of offendere “offend” (see offend). Related: Offensively; offensiveness. n.“condition of attacking, aggressive action,” 1720, from offensive (adj.).