Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.
"The comedian's joke about racial stereotypes was deeply offensive and sparked immediate outrage among the audience."
In plain English: Offensive means something that is rude, insulting, or intended to make people angry or upset.
"His rude comment was offensive to everyone at the party."
Usage: Use offensive to describe something that causes strong feelings of disgust, anger, or hurt rather than merely being rude or impolite. This word often applies to language, behavior, or imagery intended to provoke an emotional backlash in others.
Example Sentences
"His rude comment was offensive to everyone at the party."adj
"The offensive smell made it impossible to stay in the small kitchen."adj
"His comments felt deeply offensive and hurtful to everyone at the table."adj
"The team played an extremely offensive game that secured their victory."adj
The word offensive comes from the Middle French term offensif, which was formed using a suffix similar to that in défensif. It ultimately traces back to the Latin verb offendere, meaning "to offend," and entered English through this same root.