offend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause resentful displeasure in.
Even the hint of prejudice offends me.
- Antonyms:
- please
-
to affect (the sense, taste, etc.) disagreeably.
-
to violate or transgress (a criminal, religious, or moral law).
-
to hurt or cause pain to.
-
(in Biblical use) to cause to fall into sinful ways.
verb (used without object)
-
to cause resentful displeasure; irritate, annoy, or anger.
a remark so thoughtless it can only offend.
-
to err in conduct; commit a sin, crime, or fault.
- Synonyms:
- trespass, transgress
verb
-
to hurt the feelings, sense of dignity, etc, of (a person)
-
(tr) to be disagreeable to; disgust
the smell offended him
-
(intr except in archaic uses) to break (a law or laws in general)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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offendernoun
-
reoffendverb
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offendableadjective
-
offendingadjective
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unoffendableadjective
-
unoffendingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
offendsimple
-
offendssimple
-
have offendedperfect
-
has offendedperfect
-
are offendingprogressive
-
am offendingprogressive
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is offendingprogressive
-
have been offendingperfect progressive
-
has been offendingperfect progressive
Past
-
offendedsimple
-
had offendedperfect
-
was offendingprogressive
-
were offendingprogressive
-
had been offendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of offend
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English offenden, from Middle French offendre, from Latin offendere “to strike against, displease,” from of- of- + -fendere “to strike” ( see also bane ( def. ))
Explanation
If you hurt someone's feelings, you offend that person. You might accidentally offend your friend when you joke about the worst restaurant in town, not realizing it's her favorite place to eat. If you do something that makes another person resent you, you offend them. Your friends might not mind because you're so humble, but it could offend other classmates when the teachers always pick you for awards and honors. You also offend when you cause disgust or distaste. After your week of camping — and not showering — your smell will probably offend the nose of anyone who has to sit near you.
Vocabulary lists containing offend
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Offend your own relatives and you depth-charge the rest of your life.
From The Guardian • Mar. 30, 2018
Offend De Havilland and the worst you can expect is a lawsuit sent via an intermediary.
From The Guardian • Mar. 30, 2018
And so Stanford students ended up performing a cabaret called Did We Offend You? instead of the Andrew Jackson show.
From Slate • Nov. 25, 2014
Did We Offend You? premiered last weekend to a sold-out audience.
From Slate • Nov. 25, 2014
Sir 7:7 Offend not against the multitude of a city, and then thou shalt not cast thyself down among the people.
From Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Apocrypha by Anonymous
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.
