offend

1 of 2

verb

of·​fend ə-ˈfend 

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 alive.

—William Shakespeare

b

: to violate a law or rule : do wrong

determining whether a released prisoner is likely to offend again

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 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

I'm a little offended by your sarcastic tone.

She carefully worded her comments so as not to offend anyone.

offender noun

offender

2 of 2

noun

of·​fend·​er

əˈfendə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that offends : one that violates a law, rule, or code of conduct : one that commits an offense : wrongdoer, transgressor

the ruler should have a power … to pardon some offenders

—John Locke

2

: something that causes injury or annoyance

Synonyms of offend

Verb

• trespass
• fall
• wander

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

Verb

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

Verb

While a couple of other states have similar bills, none are named after Kirk, the conservative activist whose rhetoric has both offended and resonated with many. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 May 2026

That should offend anyone who believes in democracy, basic decency or the idea that sentient beings deserve more than a lifetime of confinement. —Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 27 May 2026

The Saturday Night Live alum added that she was not offended by Chalamet's seated stance during the game. —Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026

New York Times columnist, best-selling author, linguist and Columbia University professor John McWhorter doesn't shy away from controversy and isn't afraid to offend people. —Mo Rocca, CBS News, 24 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing offend

• offend the eye

Rhymes for offend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

offend

verb

of·​fend ə-ˈfend 

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 

: to commit an offense

offender noun