Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

on the defensive

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.38 in modern English

Syllables
on the de-fen-sive
IPA
24
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

prep_phrase

defending; playing a defensive game

Example Sentences

Phrases

one step ahead

Frequently Paired Words

initiative tempo one step ahead

Antonyms

on the attack

Questions

What does on the defensive mean?
Prepared to defend or protect against criticism, attack or aggression.

How to pronounce on the defensive

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “on the defensive”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “on the defensive”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “on the defensive” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.