offensively

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈfɛnsɪvli/ UK /əˈfɛnsɪvli/ See IPA manual

adv

Meanings

1

adv
in a way that causes offense; or in an attacking manner

He spoke so offensively that several guests left the dinner early.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · in a way that causes... insultingly rudely aggressively disagreeablyabusively

Opposites

inoffensivelydefensively pleasantly

Word family

Related forms offend offense offensive

Etymology

From offensive (from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offendere, 'to strike against') plus the adverbial suffix -ly.

offendere Latin fendere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# offensively

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** əˈfɛnsɪvli
**IPA (UK):** əˈfɛnsɪvli

## Meanings
1. in a way that causes offense; or in an attacking manner

## Examples
- He spoke so offensively that several guests left the dinner early.

## Synonyms
- insultingly
- rudely
- aggressively
- disagreeably
- abusively

## Antonyms
- inoffensively
- defensively
- pleasantly

## Related Forms
- offend
- offense
- offensive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: offendere
- Root: fendere

## Etymology
From offensive (from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offendere, 'to strike against') plus the adverbial suffix -ly.

## AI Etymology
Offensively is from offensive (from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offendere, 'to strike against') plus the adverbial suffix -ly. Important recorded forms include offendere (Latin) and fendere (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers in a way that causes offense; or in an attacking manner. The wider family includes related words such as offend, offense, and offensive.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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offensively

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