offensive

1. The action of attacking an enemy (synset 100982124)
   is a type of: military operation, operation - activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign)
   subtypes:

   • counteroffensive - a large scale offensive (more than a counterattack) undertaken by a defending force to seize the initiative from an attacking force
   • dirty war - an offensive conducted by secret police or the military of a regime against revolutionary and terrorist insurgents and marked by the use of kidnapping and torture and murder with civilians often being the victims
   • push back, rollback - the act of forcing the enemy to withdraw
   same as: offence, offense

1. Violating or tending to violate or offend against (synset 301635447)
   "violative of the principles of liberty"; "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity"
   similar to: offending - offending against or breaking a law or rule
   same as: violative
2. For the purpose of attack rather than defense (synset 301633007)
   "offensive weapons"
   also:

   • aggressive - having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
   • hostile - characterized by enmity or ill will
   similar to:

   • antipersonnel - designed to inflict death or personal injury rather than material destruction
   • assaultive, attacking - disposed to attack
   • hit-and-run, tip-and-run - designed for or consisting of a brief attack followed by a quick escape
   • incursive, invading, invasive - involving invasion or aggressive attack
   • marauding, predatory, raiding - characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding
   • on the offensive - actively attacking
3. Causing anger or annoyance (synset 301632363)
   "offensive remarks"
   also:

   • harmful - causing or capable of causing harm
   • disrespectful - exhibiting lack of respect; rude and discourteous
   tells us about: distastefulness, odiousness, offensiveness - the quality of being offensive
   similar to: abusive, opprobrious, scurrilous - expressing offensive reproach
4. Morally offensive (synset 301632146)
   "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal"
   same as: unsavory, unsavoury
5. Unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses (synset 301628814)
   "offensive odors"
   also:

   • evil - morally bad or wrong
   • hateful - evoking or deserving hatred
   • unpalatable - not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind
   • unpleasant - offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
   tells us about: distastefulness, odiousness, offensiveness - the quality of being offensive
   similar to:

   • abhorrent, detestable, obscene, repugnant, repulsive - offensive to the mind
   • charnel, ghastly, sepulchral - gruesomely indicative of death or the dead
   • creepy - annoying and unpleasant
   • disgustful, disgusting, distasteful, foul, loathly, loathsome, repellant, repellent, repelling, revolting, skanky, wicked, yucky - highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
   • ghoulish, morbid - suggesting the horror of death and decay
   • hideous, horrid, horrific, outrageous - grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror
   • objectionable, obnoxious - causing disapproval or protest
   • rank - very offensive in smell or taste
   • scrimy - dirty and disgusting
   • verminous - of the nature of vermin; very offensive or repulsive
6. Causing or able to cause nausea (synset 302570765)
   "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench"
   similar to: unwholesome - detrimental to physical or moral well-being
   same as: loathsome, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, queasy, sickening, vile

Other Searches

• Rhyme: Dillfrog, RhymeZone
• Definition: Wiktionary, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, Merriam-Webster, WordNet, Power Thesaurus
• Imagery: Google, Flickr, Bing