offended; offending; offends
Definition of offend
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
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.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for offend
The first known use of offend was in the 14th century
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