offend

1
as in to trespass
to commit an offense since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word offend distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of offend are affront, insult, and outrage. While all these words 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

Where would affront be a reasonable alternative to offend?

The synonyms affront and offend are sometimes interchangeable, but affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When would insult be a good substitute for offend?

In some situations, the words insult and offend are roughly equivalent. However, insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When might outrage be a better fit than offend?

The words outrage and offend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offend The advertisement is unlikely to offend audiences, particularly in places like the United States or Sweden that are not necessarily feeling the pain of the heist, Mulvey said. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 The offending image, this time, was a more recent painting that reimagined the map of India as a naked woman on her knees, city names marking her body. Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025 And sellers need to prepare to negotiate concessions like price credits and repairs rather than be offended by them. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025 And whoever is offended by it, that’s part of the problem. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for offend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offend
Verb
  • More than two years after the fatal shooting, Lorincz maintained her side of the story that the kids had trespassed on her property and threatened her life.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
  • On Monday, authorities received reports of a shirtless man trespassing at a residence in Bedias – located about 150 miles south of Alvarado – the previous day, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • No woman, under any circumstance, deserves to be insulted or humiliated.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Lee will later pop in to see Dan, the storefront lawyer next door, just to insult him by requesting a recommendation for a good lawyer.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In August 2024, the Hales Corners Library Board voted unanimously to keep the books in the library's circulation and concluded Lewis-Lane and library staff did not violate library policies.
    Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But Comey's attorneys raised separate concerns that by using those materials at all, the government may have violated Comey's rights -- not just by reviewing potentially privileged information, but also by revisiting evidence obtained by warrants that would now be considered stale.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • And King Priam, at great personal risk, shows up with a ransom and falls on his knees and clasps Achilles’ hand.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • As Semafor previously reported, many inside the magazine were excited by Guiducci’s arrival, believing the old Vanity Fair was moving too slowly, had fallen too far outside the zeitgeist, and had lost some of its sheen.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The thought that a cannabis retail store could one day open near his youth hockey training center in Stillwater has outraged LumberYard Hockey and Sports Center co-owner Lee Erickson.
    Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Naroditsky's death at age 29 outraged his supporters in the chess world, who said he'd been bullied relentlessly by Kramnik, a former world champion who has accused many players of cheating in online play.
    Jason Abbruzzese, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Rio has several bairros, or neighborhoods, but Barros prefers to wander the winding streets of the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, a hilly district with an artistic vibe, colonial architecture, and panoramic views of the city.
    Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Kyle MacLachlan was wandering around the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake, the lavish former home of silent film star Antonio Moreno and his wife and oil heiress Daisey Canfield last night.
    Peter White, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on offend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!