defensive
gb/dɪfˈɛnsɪv/ us/dɪfˈɛnsɪv/
B1
Anglais
~ 9600
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B1
property
1
quick to protect oneself from criticism
showing that you feel someone is attacking or blaming you, and you try hard to protect yourself with words or behavior
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is defensive about [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "defensive" with "defensible". "Defensive" describes a person’s behavior or attitude when they feel attacked (e.g., "He was very defensive"), while "defensible" means something can be reasonably defended or justified (e.g., "a defensible decision").
Synonymes
guarded (suggests careful, closed behavior, often quieter and less openly reactive than 'defensive'.)
|
oversensitive (stresses strong sensitivity to criticism, not always with the idea of fighting back.)
Antonymes
open (willing to listen and consider criticism without trying to protect oneself.)
|
relaxed (shows ease and lack of tension instead of feeling attacked or needing to protect oneself.)
Collocations
sound defensive
|get defensive
|become defensive
|overly defensive
|defensive attitude
|defensive reaction
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|psychology
|relationships
Exemples
- Whenever anyone questions his work, he gets very defensive.
- She sounded defensive when I asked about the missed deadline.
- Instead of being defensive, he listened carefully to the feedback.
- Her defensive tone made it hard to continue the conversation.
- He grew defensive about his parenting style during the discussion.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He becomes defensive when people talk about his job.
- She was defensive and said, "It’s not my fault."
- Try not to be defensive when your boss gives advice.
- My brother gets defensive if you ask about his grades.
- Her defensive answer showed she felt attacked.
unknown
B2
property
2
intended to protect from attack
made or done to protect someone or something from attack, danger, or harm, not to attack first
Schéma d’usage :
defensive [system/measure/strategy]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes mix this sense with the emotional sense and say things like "a defensive wall feels attacked." Here, "defensive" describes the purpose of an object or plan (to protect), not feelings. Also, do not confuse "defensive" with the adverb "defensively" ("He spoke defensively").
Synonymes
protective (general word for giving protection, not always in a conflict or attack context.)
|
shielding (emphasizes blocking or covering something to stop harm from reaching it.)
Antonymes
offensive (in military or strategic contexts, refers to actions or weapons meant to attack rather than protect.)
|
vulnerable (describes being open to harm or attack, without strong protection.)
Collocations
defensive measures
|defensive posture
|defensive strategy
|defensive weapons
|defensive system
|purely defensive
Thèmes
security
|politics
|technology
|safety
|law
Exemples
- The country insists that its missiles are purely defensive.
- They strengthened their defensive measures after the cyberattack.
- The new software includes several defensive features against hacking.
- We adopted a defensive strategy to protect our market share.
- The castle’s defensive walls were designed to resist long sieges.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The army built a defensive wall around the city.
- These tools are defensive and only protect the computer.
- They took defensive steps to keep the data safe.
- The company’s plan is defensive, not aggressive.
- This is a defensive move to stop future attacks.
adjective
B1
property
3
related to stopping the opponent
in sports, about players or actions that try to stop the other team from scoring points
Schéma d’usage :
defensive [player/strategy/play]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse "defensive" with "offensive" in sports because "offensive" also means "rude" in general English. In sports, "offensive" is the opposite of "defensive" and has nothing to do with being rude.
Synonymes
protective (can be used about play styles that focus on safety, but is less specific to sports roles.)
|
cautious (describes a careful style of play that avoids risk, often overlapping with defensive tactics.)
Antonymes
offensive (in sports, describes tactics or players focused on attacking and scoring points.)
|
attacking (emphasizes active attempts to score rather than stop the opponent.)
Collocations
defensive player
|defensive team
|defensive strategy
|defensive line
|defensive skills
|defensive play
Thèmes
sports
|games
Exemples
- Their defensive line was the strongest part of the team.
- The coach switched to a more defensive strategy after they took the lead.
- He is known as one of the best defensive players in the league.
- We need to improve our defensive skills if we want to win.
- They played very defensive football in the second half.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She is a defensive player on the basketball team.
- The team used a defensive plan to keep their lead.
- His defensive skills helped stop many goals.
- They played a defensive game and won 1–0.
- The coach wants the team to be more defensive today.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
relatively safe in bad markets
in finance, describing a type of stock or business that usually stays safer and loses less money when the economy is bad
Schéma d’usage :
defensive [stock/sector/investment]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may incorrectly extend the emotional meaning and think a "defensive stock" is somehow "angry" or "feeling attacked." In finance, "defensive" only refers to being safer and more stable in bad markets.
Synonymes
stable (general word suggesting little change in value; not limited to downturns.)
|
low-risk (highlights reduced chance of loss, but is broader than the specific financial label "defensive".)
Antonymes
cyclical (in finance, describes stocks or sectors that rise and fall strongly with the economic cycle, opposite of defensive stability.)
|
high-risk (emphasizes a greater chance of loss, often with more volatility than defensive assets.)
Collocations
defensive stock
|defensive sector
|defensive investment
|defensive portfolio
|defensive shares
Thèmes
business
|finance
|economics
Exemples
- Investors moved their money into defensive stocks during the recession.
- Utilities are often seen as a defensive sector.
- She prefers a defensive portfolio to protect her savings.
- Defensive shares outperformed the broader market in the downturn.
- Analysts recommend a more defensive position ahead of potential market volatility.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Many people buy defensive stocks when they are afraid of a crash.
- A defensive sector often does well in bad times.
- He chose a defensive investment to protect his money.
- Defensive shares may fall less when the market is weak.
- Some investors like a defensive plan for retirement.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
defensive
API
GB/dɪfˈɛnsɪv/
US/dɪfˈɛnsɪv/
Syllabes et accentuation
de - fens - ive (3 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fens)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: defensive
Famille de mots
Expressions
be on the defensive
1/bˈi ˈɔn ðə dɪfˈɛnsɪv/
idiom
be in a position of defending
to be in a situation where you must defend yourself against attack, criticism, or pressure instead of acting freely or attacking
Exemples
- After the report was published, the company was on the defensive for weeks.
- The politician found herself on the defensive over her tax plans.
- He was on the defensive throughout the interview and never went on the attack.
defensive driving
1/dɪfˈɛnsɪv dɹˈaɪvɪŋ/
fixed phrase
careful, risk-aware driving style
driving carefully and watching other drivers so you can avoid accidents, even if they make mistakes
Exemples
- New drivers are encouraged to take a defensive driving course.
- Defensive driving can significantly reduce your chances of an accident.
- He credits his defensive driving habits with keeping him safe for thirty years.
defensive medicine
1/dɪfˈɛnsɪv mˈɛdɪsən/
fixed phrase
technical
extra treatment to avoid lawsuits
medical treatment where doctors order many tests or treatments mainly to protect themselves from legal problems, not just to help the patient
Exemples
- Some doctors say they practice defensive medicine because they fear lawsuits.
- Defensive medicine can drive up healthcare costs.
- The report argues that defensive medicine is common in high-risk specialties.
defensive posture
1/dɪfˈɛnsɪv pˈɔst͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
formal
protective stance or attitude
a way of behaving or a military position that focuses on protecting and not attacking
Exemples
- The country has adopted a purely defensive posture along its borders.
- The company is moving from a defensive posture to a growth strategy.
- His defensive posture during the meeting made open discussion difficult.
defensive programming
1/dɪfˈɛnsɪv pɹˈoʊɡɹˌæmɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
coding to anticipate errors
writing computer programs in a careful way that checks for many possible errors, so the program does not break easily
Exemples
- Defensive programming can make your code more reliable.
- The team uses defensive programming techniques to handle bad input.
- He gave a talk on defensive programming in large systems.
defensive tackle
1/dɪfˈɛnsɪv tˈækəl/
fixed phrase
technical
American football defensive position
a player in American football who plays on the defensive line and tries to stop the other team’s plays near the middle
Exemples
- He was drafted as a defensive tackle in the first round.
- The defensive tackle broke through the line and sacked the quarterback.
- They signed a veteran defensive tackle to strengthen the defense.
put [someone] on the defensive
1/pˈʊt sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɔn ðə dɪfˈɛnsɪv/
idiom
force someone to defend themselves
to make someone feel that they must defend themselves against attack or criticism instead of acting freely
Exemples
- The reporter’s tough question put the minister on the defensive.
- Her direct email put the manager on the defensive from the start.
- They tried to put us on the defensive by questioning our numbers.