offend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
offends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
offended,
past participle, past
-
offending
present participle
-
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)
-
offends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
offended,
past participle, past
-
offending
present participle
-
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
-
overoffendverb (used with object)
-
preoffendverb (used with object)
-
offendableadjective
-
offendingadjective
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unoffendableadjective
-
unoffendingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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offendsimple
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offendssimple
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have offendedperfect
-
has offendedperfect
-
am offendingprogressive
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are offendingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
"British Airways, Lufthansa, and everybody else's high fares, I'll happily offend them on a regular basis," he added.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
But more than that, ‘Are we doing things that could actually offend them?’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
I don’t care if the officers caught on tape didn’t intend to offend, and I don’t care what Hochman intends the message to be with his vast over-charging of Flores.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
He thinks women believe that "men should have less leg hair", which has prompted them to seek laser hair removal so as not to offend those around them.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
If he declined Trip’s offer, Frank figured he would offend the guy and end up as sorghum or wheat or some other cash crop.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
It characterized the injury as one arising from “offense, disagreement, or distaste” and reasoned that allowing such an interest to establish standing could permit citizens to challenge virtually any government project that offends their sensibilities.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
That’s “diworsification”—ideas watered down to the lowest common denominator, the least innovative option that offends no one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
"It was the wrong thing to do. It offends against their own customers' sense of fair play," he added.
From BBC ● May 20, 2025
At the very least, that's not something that offends people.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2024
“My mockery offends you? My people would welcome your laughter in place of this barbarity.”
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
“I’m sure they are deeply offended by my attempts, but yes, yes I do,” Losos says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 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 subjective displeasure of an offended observer does not amount to a concrete injury,” Sauer said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Parker offended many actors with her acid remarks, but for Monroe she had only kind words.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
However, if the dog was wounded, he was not offended enough to leave.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Then I thought to show my colleague’s offending email to an AI, which didn’t have all my baggage of past gripes with this co-worker or past indignation at being similarly dismissed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Huger wrote for instructions to Postmaster General Amos Kendall, as well as New York Postmaster Samuel Gouverneur, from whose office the offending literature had been shipped.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
The offending remarks are situated within a nuanced, thoughtful chapter on what makes good art.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
That his offending remained undiscovered for more than three decades meant he was able to enjoy life in the community, the court heard.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I’m not offending you or anything. I just want to be honest.”
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
