offend

verb

of·​fend ə-ˈfend How to pronounce offend (audio)
offended; offending; offends

intransitive verb

1
a
: to transgress (see transgress sense transitive 1) the moral or divine law : sin
if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul aliveWilliam Shakespeare
b
: to violate a law or rule : do wrong
offend against the law
2
a
: to cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury
took off his shoe and removed the offending pebble
b
: to cause dislike, anger, or vexation
thoughtless words that offend needlessly

transitive verb

1
a
: violate, transgress
a contract not offending a statute … might still be in restraint of tradeC. A. Cooke
b
: to cause pain to : hurt
tasteless billboards that offend the eye
2
obsolete : to cause to sin or fall
3
: to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done
was offended by their language
She carefully worded her comments so as not to offend anyone.
offender noun
Choose the Right Synonym for offend

offend, outrage, affront, insult mean to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment.

offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting.

hoped that my remarks had not offended her

outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

Examples of offend in a Sentence

His comments about minority groups offended many of us. She had carefully worded her comments so as not to offend anyone. It offends me that you would make such a remark. Don't worry. I wasn't offended. I felt a little offended by their lack of respect. Some people are offended by the song's lyrics. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend.
Recent Examples on the Web There is fun to be had, though, when that firmness is brought to bear on things that offend her sense of island etiquette. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2024 Some on social media claimed that MUAC had improperly defended an artist for a piece that had offended many. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2024 Pat asked, sounding offended, then genuinely uncertain. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 Understanding this principle has profound implications for how marketers approach communication because a campaign that works well in one cultural context might fall flat or even offend in another. Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for offend 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English offenden "to assail, violate, displease, hurt the feelings of," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French offendre, borrowed from Latin offendere "to strike against, stumble (upon), trouble, break a rule, displease, annoy," from of-, assimilated variant of ob- ob- + -fendere presumably, "to strike, hit" (unattested without prefixes) — more at defend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of offend was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near offend

Cite this Entry

“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offend. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

offend

verb
of·​fend ə-ˈfend How to pronounce offend (audio)
1
: to do wrong : sin
2
: to cause to be angry or annoyed : displease
that language offends me
offender noun

Legal Definition

offend

intransitive verb
of·​fend ə-ˈfend How to pronounce offend (audio)
: to commit an offense
offender noun

More from Merriam-Webster on offend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!