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 Trump said at the time, referring to Catholics who said they were offended by the image. David Ingram, NBC news, 4 Oct. 2025 Reporters in the Brady Room earlier this week were greeted by the meme on a loop; the vice president, addressing them on the shutdown, laughed at Democrats who were offended by the trope. David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025 And faculty worry that teaching certain subject matter and texts might offend students and, if students complain, lead to administrative sanctions. Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025 Is the streamer afraid of offending hate groups by depicting them as hateful and/or groups? Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 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
  • Between 2014 and 2020, Erdogan investigated 160,000 Turks for insulting the president and prosecuted 45,000 of them, including a 14-year-old boy.
    Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing.
    Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The president of the European Commission highlighted that in just the last two weeks, Russian drones and warplanes have violated the airspace of six European nations, scrambling jets, grounding commercial flights and posing a direct threat to EU citizens.
    Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Lawsuits filed in recent days claim the federal government is overstepping its authority and violating constitutional protections.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
  • However, compared to his older stepbrothers, his net worth falls a little bit short.
    StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For several days this week, cities across the Indian Ocean nation – one of Africa’s poorest – have been flooded with young protesters outraged over water shortages and rolling blackouts.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The move outraged leading Democrats.
    Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The southernmost individual on record lives in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, just 200 kilometers from Mexico City, while the northernmost populations wander the Arctic coasts in northern Canada and Alaska.
    Ganesh Marín, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The mind could wander briefly about the Giants riding a two-game winning streak into a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Eagles, equipped to knock off their tormentors who suddenly look vulnerable.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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