defensive
/dɪˈfɛnsɪv
/adjective
1Used or intended to defend or protect: defensive barriers...
- This group unites to form a defensive force to protect the city from a new band of villains.
- The mammals swam in tight circles to create a defensive barrier as the great white lurked under the surface.
- At the Tuileries, meanwhile, courtiers were going about armed and preparing defensive positions.
Synonyms
defending, guarding, safeguarding, protecting, protective, shielding, screening;
wary, watchful;
averting, withstanding, opposing
1.1(In sport) relating to or intended as defence: a defensive player a poor defensive record...
- He is the first player ever to be voted top rookie and defensive player of the year in the same season.
- Benitez can also boast having one of the country's best defensive records having conceded just six times.
- Liverpool have the eighth best goalscoring record and the seventh best defensive record.
2Very anxious to challenge or avoid criticism: he was very defensive about that side of his life...
- Many patients say they felt discouraged from complaining in the face of a defensive approach to criticism.
- Both sides tend to adopt inflexible, judgmental and defensive attitudes toward one another.
- Perhaps we should cut out the defensive attitudes and actually read what was posted?
Synonyms
self-justifying, oversensitive, thin-skinned, easily offended, prickly, paranoid, neurotic
informal uptight, twitchy
rare umbrageous
Phrases
on the defensive
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French défensif, -ive, from medieval Latin defensivus, from Latin defens- 'warded off', from the verb defendere (see defend).