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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

offensive

/ˈɔˌfɛnsɪv/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does offensive mean?

adjective

  1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, hatred, sadness, or indignation.
  2. Socially disrespectful; insensitive.
  3. Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
More meanings (3)

adjective

  1. Having to do with play directed at scoring.

noun

  1. An attack.
  2. The posture of attacking or being able to attack.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈɔˌfɛnsɪv/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

The prosperous patronage with which he said it, made him look twice as big as he was, and four times as offensive.
Charles DickensA Tale of Two CitiesProject Gutenberg ebook #98
Try as she would, Trina could never quite eradicate from their rooms a certain faint and indefinable odor, particularly offensive to her.
Frank NorrisMcTeague: A Story of San FranciscoProject Gutenberg ebook #165
More book examples (3)
Yet, the smell of a Yahoo continuing very offensive, I always keep my nose well stopped with rue, lavender, or tobacco leaves.
Jonathan SwiftGulliver's Travels into Several Remote Nations of the WorldProject Gutenberg ebook #829
One nation, the Soviet Union, has conducted the greatest military buildup in the history of man, building arsenals of awesome offensive weapons.
United States. PresidentsUnited States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches: From Washington to George W. BushProject Gutenberg ebook #925
Research and training in chemical protection must be continued, and this can only be ensured by keeping abreast with offensive chemical warfare.
Victor LefebureThe Riddle of the Rhine: Chemical Strategy in Peace and WarProject Gutenberg ebook #1272