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Obscene vs Offensive - What's the difference?

obscene | offensive |

Offensive is a synonym of obscene.



As adjectives the difference between obscene and offensive

is that obscene is offensive to current standards of decency or morality while offensive is causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.

As a noun offensive is

an attack.

obscene

English

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Offensive to current standards of decency or morality
  • Lewd or lustful
  • Disgusting or repulsive
  • Beyond all reason
  • Liable to deprave or corrupt

    • Usage notes

    * The comparative obscener and superlative obscenest, though formed by valid rules for English, are less common than more obscene' and ' most obscene .

    offensive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.
  • Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author= Ed Pilkington
    • , volume=188, issue=26, page=6, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= ‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told , passage=In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.}}
  • Having to do with play directed at scoring.

    • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "offensive" is often applied: content, material, language, word, comment, remark, statement, speech, joke, humor, image, picture, art, behavior, conduct, act, action. * When the second syllable is emphasized, "offensive" is defined as "insulting". When the first syllable is emphasized, it refers to the attacker of a conflict or the team in a sport who possesses the ball.

    Synonyms

    * aggressive * invidious (Intending to cause envious offense)

    Antonyms

    * inoffensive (not causing offense or disgust ) * defensive (relating or causing defence )

    Derived terms

    * offensiveness

    Related terms

    * offend

    Noun

  • (countable, military) An attack.
    • The Marines today launched a major offensive .
  • (uncountable) The posture of attacking or being able to attack.
    • He took the offensive in the press, accusing his opponent of corruption.

    External links

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