offend

verb

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of·fend | \ ə-ˈfend

offended; offending; offends

Definition of offend

intransitive verb

1a : 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 alive— William Shakespeare

b : to violate a law or rule : do wrong offend against the law

2a : 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

1a : violate, transgress a contract not offending a statute … might still be in restraint of trade— C. 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.

Other Words from offend Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing offend Learn More About offend

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 Research cited by the DA's office from the Southern Poverty Law Center said children prosecuted as adults are more likely to re-offend than those held in the juvenile justice system. — Fox News, 17 Feb. 2022 Many re-offend again and again helped by people in their lives who have been hoodwinked. — Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 8 Feb. 2022 Many re-offend again and again helped by people in their lives who have been hoodwinked. — Amy Dickinson, chicagotribune.com, 8 Feb. 2022 Many re-offend again and again helped by people in their lives who have been hoodwinked. — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 8 Feb. 2022 The other Mekong countries, which are dependent on China for trade and investment and reluctant to offend Beijing, have criticized the dams but often struggled to present a united front. — NBC News, 7 Feb. 2022 And finally, The Real Housewives of Miami sat through a jewelry luncheon that was warm enough for Adriana and Lisa to offend all the influencers by battling for the shady spot under the umbrella. — Mary Sollosi, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2022 Yet by spreading buckshot across the entire great and increasingly diverse melting pot of American consumers, Spitzer manages not really to offend anyone at all. — Dale Buss, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 With the right access, researchers can experiment with program design, identifying the effects of, say, cognitive behavioral therapy or a personal mentor on the propensity to offend. — Charles Fain Lehman, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2022

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'offend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for offend

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