offensive

I

(Roget's IV) modif.

1. [Concerned with an attack]

Syn. assaulting, attacking, invading; see aggressive 2 .

2. [Revolting]

Syn. 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 .

Ant. pleasant*, agreeable, likable.

3. [Insolent]

Syn. 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 n.

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

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

attack, invasion, raid, assault, siege, charge, counteroffensive, bombing run, flanking maneuver, blitzkrieg, enfilade.

II

a.

1. insulting rude, obnoxious, revolting, disgusting, hateful, repugnant, outrageous, discourteous, distasteful, sickening, disagreeable, affronting, abominable, objectionable. see mean, obscene, vulgar

2. aggressive warlike, invading, pugnacious, hostile, attacking, belligerent.

ANT.: 1. pleasing, honoring, respectful, nice. 2. peaceful, pacific, passive, appeasing

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I adjective 1. Extremely unpleasant to the senses or feelings: atrocious, disgusting, foul, horrid, nasty, nauseating, repellent, repulsive, revolting, sickening, ugly, unwholesome, vile. See LIKE, PAIN. 2. Not pleasant or agreeable: bad, disagreeable, displeasing, uncongenial, unpleasant, unsympathetic. Informal: icky. Slang: yucky. See GOOD, PAIN. II noun The act of attacking: aggression, assailment, assault, attack, attempt, offense, onrush, onset, onslaught, strike. See ATTACK.