Definition of offend
intransitive verb
1a : to transgress (see transgress transitive 1) the moral or divine law : sin if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive — William Shakespeareb : 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 pebbleb : 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. Cookeb : 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
nounRead the Latest from M-W
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 of offend from the Web
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And many were offended by their behavior, seeing the chaos on campus as a symbol that liberal politics so dominate college campuses that civil debates about ideas have become impossible.
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A Mexican businessman offended by President Donald Trump’s insults to his countrymen is seizing on a possible oversight in the magnate’s branding plans.
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But Nickerson and others contend that undercover officers often exchange flirtatious signals and make arrests of men who think their advances are welcome, when no one else is nearby to be offended.
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Schenirer, saying he was offended by the developer’s emails, refused to meet with Petrovich in the weeks before the council vote.
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If the school newspaper prints an article that offends you, don’t tell the university to defund the paper: publish your own online blogs and journals, and circulate them far and wide.
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Duterte is known for his informal, no-nonsense style and his speeches are often loaded with profanity, threats and jokes about taboo subjects, which offend some, but are taken lightly by many Filipinos.
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Well – there is one more contingency, for the People Who Get Offended by Everything.
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At both Suck and Netly, the offending parties have promised us new, improved versions of their interfaces upon their return.
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.
Synonym Discussion of offend
OFFEND Defined for English Language Learners
offend
playDefinition of offend for English Language Learners
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: to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done
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: to be unpleasant to (someone or something)
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: to do wrong : to be against what people believe is acceptable or proper
OFFEND Defined for Kids
offend
playDefinition of offend for Students
offended
;offending
1 : to hurt the feelings of or insult She uses language that offends people.
2 : to do wrong Is the released prisoner likely to offend again?
Law Dictionary
offend
playLegal Definition of offend
: to commit an offense
offender
nounLearn More about offend
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See words that rhyme with offend Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for offend Spanish Central: Translation of offend Nglish: Translation of offend for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of offend for Arabic speakers
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