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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web No information was provided on the offending vehicle. Joan Rusek, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2023 The former president frequently seems personally offended by the idea that his net worth is being questioned. William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023 One colleague told of the kids using their forks to flick the offending peas to the floor and then nudging them through the spaces between the floorboards on the family’s porch. Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 To use, simply center the steel base over the offending weed, press the tool into the ground, lean the handle, and pull out the weed. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2023 But some viewers who saw the clip assumed Roach was offended. Clover Hope, ELLE, 23 Aug. 2023 As the sensitive Libra Moon opposes tender Chiron, the contradictions that arise may offend our sense of justice. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2023 His speech before the Riverside County Democrats was no different: an attempt to braid these themes into something compelling for voters who’ve spent the last several years offended by Trump. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 Today, some of the books that shaped my life — and the lives of many others — are being challenged by people who are offended by or afraid of the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and thoughts in their pages. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2023 See More

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 21 Sep. 2023.

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

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