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offensive

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.

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.

Synonym: Displeasing, disagreeable, distasteful, obnoxious, abhorrent, disgusting, impertinent, rude, saucy, reproachful, opprobrious, insulting, insolent, abusive, scurrilous, assailant, attacking, invading.

Offensively, Offensiveness.

Origin: Cf.F. Offensif. See Offend.