offend

1
as in to trespass
to commit an offense since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word offend distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of offend are affront, insult, and outrage. While all these words 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

Where would affront be a reasonable alternative to offend?

The synonyms affront and offend are sometimes interchangeable, but affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When would insult be a good substitute for offend?

In some situations, the words insult and offend are roughly equivalent. However, insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When might outrage be a better fit than offend?

The words outrage and offend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offend Price hikes are almost always unpopular, but unveiling them immediately after offending subscribers, employees, politicians, and celebrities is tone-deaf and horribly timed. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025 Jokes can offend, annoy, insult or fall flat. Diane Brady, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025 There was no accessible list of people supposedly celebrating Kirk’s murder, and a submissions portal for offending posts about him remained inactive. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025 One assumes there will be widespread debate over the accuracy of Kimmel’s offending comments. David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for offend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offend
Verb
  • During the 2022 incident, an unknown person motioned toward Newton to arrest Mitchell for trespassing.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Denver7 reported that authorities had received three reports of a suspicious person trespassing on private properties along State Highway 103 this week, including two properties on Peaceful Valley Lane in Idaho Springs on Monday.
    John Aguilar, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To add injury to insult, the Cowboys also lost star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to an ankle injury that forced him from the game.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Posts garnered thousands of replies from people calling for her job, insulting her appearance and using her post as a reason for a general disdain of left-leaning people.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Since then Russia is suspected of testing NATO’s resolve by violating the airspace of Norway, Romania, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and now Germany too.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Though Russian craft have repeatedly violated NATO airspace during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the shootdowns over Poland represented the first time NATO had shot down Russian drones.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 49ers dropped their first loss of the season to the Jaguars, as the team fell with a final score of 26-21.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
  • However, only 5% is allocated to equities, which means there is room for retail participation to deepen, especially as deposit rates fall and property remains out of favor, analysts told CNBC.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As if to prove the magnificent treasures within Paris now belonged to the German dictator, the statue of Great War French hero General Mangin—which outraged the Führer—was destroyed.
    Christopher C. Gorham September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • In fact, Western leaders are mostly appeasing domestic constituencies outraged by the suffering of ordinary Gazans.
    Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • There’s the feeling that this is all just another day at the office, albeit one with enormous gladiators wandering around in the background.
    Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Sandberg was there wandering around the clubhouse sopping wet from a mixture of champagne, beer and rain water along with other Cub greats, protected by a yellow rain slicker.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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