Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for offense

offense

[ uh-fens aw-fens, of-ens ]

noun

  1. a violation or breaking of a social or moral rule; transgression; sin.

    Synonyms: fault, felony, trespass

  2. a transgression of the law; misdemeanor.

    Synonyms: fault, felony, trespass

  3. a cause of transgression or wrong.
  4. something that offends or displeases.
  5. the act of offending or displeasing.
  6. the feeling of resentful displeasure caused:

    to give offense.

    Synonyms: indignation, wrath, resentment, umbrage

    Antonyms: pleasure

  7. the act of attacking; attack or assault:

    weapons of offense.

    Synonyms: aggression

    Antonyms: defense

  8. a person, army, etc., that is attacking.

    Synonyms: foe, enemy

  9. Sports.
    1. the players or team unit responsible for attacking or scoring in a game.
    2. the players possessing or controlling the ball, puck, etc., or the aspects or period of a game when this obtains.
    3. a pattern or style of scoring attack:

      single-wing offense; fast-break offense.

    4. offensive effectiveness; ability to score:

      a total breakdown in offense.

  10. Archaic. injury, harm, or hurt.


Discover More

Other Words From

  • self-of·fense noun

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of offense1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English offence, offense; in part from Middle French offens, from Latin offēnsus “collision, knock,” equivalent to offend(ere) ( offend ) + -tus suffix of verb action; in part from Middle French offense, ultimately from Latin offēnsa, feminine past participle of offendere

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

see no offense ; take offense .

Discover More

Synonym Study

See crime.

Discover More

Example Sentences

But the fun starts when conservatives stop playing defense and go on offense.

To many of us, that smacks of censorship, the highest offense to our pride in self-publicity.

The most violent offense committed by Wahlberg occurred on the night of April 8, 1988.

If this were accurate, it would mean that the Wilson stopped Brown over a minor offense, not a felony.

Of how incredibly petty the offense can be and how insanely disproportionate the retaliation can be.

In this way it will be managed with less offense and with more ease to the conscience than now.

In harmony with a fundamental rule of law, a member who has once been acquitted cannot be tried again for the same offense.

It is almost amusing to see the efforts they make to avoid shaking hands with people, without giving direct offense.

He described the men at the Lion d'Or as truculent, easily ready to take offense, difficult to persuade.

Any offense against the grammar of our language is a sin against good use.

Advertisement

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


offenderoffenseless