offensive synonyms

offensive

modif.

  1. Concerned with an attack

    assaulting, attacking, invading; see aggressive 2.

  2. Revolting

    obnoxious, odious, opprobrious, disagreeable, displeasing, abhorrent, reprehensible, detestable, repulsive, repugnant, shocking, horrible, horrid, hideous, repellent, nauseating, invidious, nauseous, revolting, distasteful, impious, blasphemous, unspeakable, accursed, unutterable, dreadful, terrible, grisly, ghastly, bloody, gory, infamous, hateful, low, foul, corrupt, bad, indecent, nasty, dirty, unclean, filthy, sickening, malignant, rancid, disgusting, feculent, lousy, verminous, macabre, putrid, vile, impure, beastly, monstrous, coarse, ribald, noxious, loathsome, abominable, stinking, reeking, execrable, purulent, obscene, saprogenous, pernicious, smutty, damnable, distressing, irritating, uncongenial, unpleasant, uninviting, contaminated, unsympathetic, frightful, malodorous, unattractive, forbidding, disagreeing, adverse, inimical, repelling, incompatible, unsavory, intolerable, unpalatable, dissatisfactory, unpleasing, inharmonious, unsuited, objectionable, annoying, antipathetic, in disfavor, to one's disgust, beneath contempt, bad vibes*, cussed*, blankety*, helluva*, gosh-awful*, hell-fired*, icky*, jerkwater*, lousy*, mangy*, rummy*, snide*, two-bit*, pewy*; see also rotten 1, 3, shameful 1, 2, ugly 1, 2, vulgar 1, wicked 1, 2.

    Antonyms pleasant*, agreeable*, likable. *

  3. Insolent

    impertinent, impudent, insulting; see rude 2.

offensive, the most neutral and mildest of the words treated here, refers to that which evokes dislike or aversion; hateful is applied to that which provokes extreme dislike or aversion; odious stresses a disagreeable or offensive quality in that which is hateful; detestable refers to that which arouses vehement dislike or antipathy; obnoxious is applied to that which is very objectionable to one and causes great annoyance or discomfort by its presence; that is repugnant which is so distasteful or offensive that one offers strong resistance to it; that is abhorrent which is regarded with extreme repugnance or disgust; abominable is applied to that which is execrably offensive or loathsome

offensive

n.

attack, position of attack, invasion, assault; see attack 1.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.