Offensiveness: meaning, definitions and examples

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offensiveness

 

[ əˈfɛnsɪvnəs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

level of being offensive

Offensiveness refers to the quality or state of being offensive, causing displeasure or resentment. It is the degree to which something is likely to cause offense or provoke a negative reaction.

Synonyms

insensitivity, obnoxiousness, rudeness

Examples of usage

  • The offensiveness of his remarks led to a heated argument.
  • She was taken aback by the offensiveness of the joke.
  • I was surprised by the offensiveness of his behavior at the party.

Translations

Translations of the word "offensiveness" in other languages:

🇵🇹 ofensividade

🇮🇳 अपमानजनकता

🇩🇪 Anstößigkeit

🇮🇩 kesalahan

🇺🇦 образливість

🇵🇱 obraźliwość

🇯🇵 攻撃性

🇫🇷 offensivité

🇪🇸 ofensividad

🇹🇷 saldırganlık

🇰🇷 모욕성

🇸🇦 الإساءة

🇨🇿 urážlivost

🇸🇰 urážlivosť

🇨🇳 攻击性

🇸🇮 žaljivost

🇮🇸 árásargirni

🇰🇿 қорлаушылық

🇬🇪 შეურაცხმყოფელობა

🇦🇿 təhqiredicilik

🇲🇽 ofensividad

Etymology

The word 'offensiveness' originated from the verb 'offend' in the late 16th century. It stems from the Latin word 'offendere', meaning 'to strike against'. Over time, 'offensiveness' evolved to describe the quality of causing offense or displeasure.

See also: counteroffensive, inoffensive, offenses, offensively, offensives.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,385, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.