offend

[ uh-fend ]

/ əˈfɛnd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR offend ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause resentful displeasure in: Even the hint of prejudice offends me.

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.

Nearby words

offboard, offcast, offcut, offenbach, offence, offend, offense, offenseless, offensive, offer, offer document

Origin of offend

1275–1325; Middle English offenden < Middle French offendre < Latin offendere to strike against, displease, equivalent to of- of- + -fendere to strike

SYNONYMS FOR offend

1 provoke, chafe, nettle, affront, insult.

7 transgress.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR offend ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR offend

1 please.

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Related forms

of·fend·a·ble, adjectiveof·fend·ed·ly, adverbof·fend·ed·ness, nounof·fend·er, noun

half-of·fend·ed, adjectivenon·of·fend·er, nouno·ver·of·fend, verb (used with object)pre·of·fend, verb (used with object)re·of·fend, verbun·of·fend·a·ble, adjectiveun·of·fend·ed, adjectiveun·of·fend·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for offender

That needs to be the rule, the universal standard, regardless of whether the offender is a Republican or a Democrat.
In Kentucky, Elaine Chao Endures Racist Attacks From Liberals|Ron Christie|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Edwards would be a first offender who, yes, abused his power, but also led a life of public service.
John Edwards Indictment Preview|Daniel Stone|May 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Serious problems with laws, policies, and practices persist and can compromise victim safety and offender accountability.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Case Already a Victory for Our Legal System|Cheryl Thomas|May 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Less than a week later, the offender was sent to Camp Lejune and subsequently deployed for Iraq.
Gates, Rumsfeld Sued Over U.S. Military's Rape Epidemic|Jesse Ellison|February 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST

When the public sympathizes with an offender, there's less political will to file charges.
Was Tiger a Victim?|Wendy Murphy|November 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
If he be libelled, or any way defamed, he has his scandulum magnatum to punish the offender.
The Works of John Dryden, now first collected in Eighteen Volumes, Volume 11|John Dryden
The object of all punishments is evidently to prevent the recurrence of offences, either by others or by the offender himself.
The Lieutenant and Commander|Basil Hall
At all costs the women and children of the community must be protected against this class of offender.
Mental Defectives and Sexual Offenders|W. H. Triggs, Donald McGavin, Frederick Truby King, J. Sands Elliot, Ada G. Patterson, C.E. Matthews and J. Beck
How dearly has it cost its votaries, even from the sin of Cain, the first offender in this kind!
Essays on Various Subjects|Hannah More
And this sense of wrongs is the more acute in proportion to the racial propinquity of the offender.
Jefferson and his Colleagues|Allen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for offender

offend

/ (əˈfɛnd) /

verb

to hurt the feelings, sense of dignity, etc, of (a person)

(tr) to be disagreeable to; disgustthe smell offended him

(intr except in archaic uses) to break (a law or laws in general)

Derived Forms

offender, nounoffending, adjective

Word Origin for offend

C14: via Old French offendre to strike against, from Latin offendere, from ob- against + fendere to strike

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012