offended
Americanadjective
-
feeling or expressing hurt, indignation, or irritation because of a perceived wrong or insult.
The man replied in an offended voice, "My niece would never do anything like that!"
-
being the recipient or victim of criminal or morally repugnant behavior.
After the referral agent and the offender speak, the offended individual is invited to speak about how the assault affected them.
-
(of a sense, taste, etc.) affected disagreeably.
With the bright neon blue and red, the dress looked like clown garb, so my offended aesthetic sense told me to take it off.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of offended
Explanation
Someone who's offended is annoyed, hurt, or disgusted. If one presidential candidate comments snidely on the hairstyle of another, the offended candidate may retaliate. If your feelings are hurt by your brother's comment that he "could take or leave" the chocolate chip cookies you baked for him, you're offended. And your grandmother's offended expression may be the result of the dreadful movie you're watching. Offended comes from the verb offend, specifically its secondary meaning "to wound the feelings." The Latin root is offendere, "to hit, stumble, provoke, or displease."
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.
But this one was so bad that it even offended Martinez Valladares, a Republican whose district stretches from the Grapevine to Victorville.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
“We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
"What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage," the presiding judge said, according to the Associated Press.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The judge found Day had "little insight into your offending or any real remorse", but he noted he had not offended since the Big Ben incident and had strong personal mitigation including failing eyesight.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I apologize if I offended you,” said Roz.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
