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offensive |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Offensive \Of*fen"sive\, a. [Cf.F. offensif See {Offend}.] 1. Giving offense; causing displeasure or resentment; displeasing; annoying; as offensive words 2. Giving pain or unpleasant sensations; disagreeable; revolting; noxious; as an offensive smell; offensive sounds. ``Offensive to the stomach.'' --Bacon. 3. Making the first attack; assailant; aggressive; hence used in attacking; -- opposed to {defensive}; as an offensive war; offensive weapons. {League offensive and defensive}, a leaque that requires all the parties to it to make war together against any foe, and to defend one another if attacked. Syn: Displeasing; disagreeable; distasteful; obnoxious; abhorrent; disgusting; impertinent; rude; saucy; reproachful; opprobrious; insulting; insolent; abusive; scurrilous; assailant; attacking; invading. -- {Of*fen"sive*ly}, adv -- {Of*fen"sive*ness}, n. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Offensive \Of*fen"sive\, n. The state or posture of one who offends or makes attack; aggressive attitude; the act of the attacking party; -- opposed to {defensive}. {To act on the offensive}, to be the attacking party. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: offensive adj 1: violating or tending to violate or offend against; "violative of the principles of liberty"; "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity" [syn: {violative}] 2: for the purpose of attack rather than defense; "offensive weapons" [ant: {defensive}] 3: causing anger or annoyance; "offensive remarks" [ant: {inoffensive}] 4: morally offensive; "an unsavory reputation"; "an unsavory scandal" [syn: {unsavory}, {unsavoury}] [ant: {savory}] 5: unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses "offensive odors" [ant: {inoffensive}] 6: of an offensive substitute for inoffensive terminology; "`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'" [syn: {dysphemistic}] [ant: {euphemistic}] 7: causing or able to cause nausea; "a nauseating smell"; "nauseous offal"; "a sickening stench" [syn: {nauseating}, {nauseous}, {noisome}, {loathsome}, {sickening}, {vile}] n : the action of attacking the enemy [syn: {offense}, {offence}] From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: OFFENSIVE, adj Generating disagreeable emotions or sensations, as the advance of an army against its enemy. "Were the enemy's tactics offensive?" the king asked. "I should say so!" replied the unsuccessful general. "The blackguard wouldn't come out of his works!"
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