Synonyms of offending

offending 1 of 2

adjective

as in insulting

Related Words

• insulting
• offensive
• abusive
• outrageous
• affronting
• opprobrious
• vitriolic
• invective
• scurrilous
• vituperative
• indecent
• outraging
• contumelious
• filthy
• obscene
• gross
• truculent
• vulgar
• foul
• crude
• coarse
• dirty
• foulmouthed
• vituperatory
• contemptuous
• defamatory
• scandalous
• scornful
• potty-mouthed
• malicious
• disdainful
• scurrile
• slanderous
• libelous
• hateful
• nasty
• vilifying
• maligning
• malevolent
• spiteful
• traducing
• unbridled
• immoderate
• intemperate
• unrestrained

Dissimilar Words

• moderate
• civil
• respectful
• temperate
• deferential
• polite
• courteous
• judicious
• gracious
• discreet
• tempered
• laudatory
• mannerly
• encomiastic
• praiseful
• laudative

offending

2 of 2

verb

present participle of offend

1

as in trespassing

to commit an offense

since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• trespassing
• falling
• wandering
• straying
• sinning
• erring
• transgressing
• violating
• infringing
• breaking the law
• breaching
• falling from grace
• lapsing
• backsliding
• breaking
• messing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• justifying
• forgiving
• pardoning
• regretting
• repenting
• ruing

2

as in outraging

to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in

the visitor unintentionally offended his hosts terribly by failing to compliment them on the elaborately prepared meal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insulting
• outraging
• taunting
• upsetting
• affronting
• slapping
• disrespecting
• wounding
• displeasing
• hurting
• disturbing
• mocking
• troubling
• slighting
• distressing
• dissing
• ridiculing
• snubbing
• torturing
• tormenting
• jeering
• defaming
• maligning
• disparaging
• oppressing
• cutting
• libeling
• smearing
• slandering
• paining
• persecuting
• reviling
• slurring
• sneering (at)
• miffing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approving
• applauding
• praising
• hailing
• complimenting
• commending
• acclaiming
• eulogizing
• honoring
• flattering
• gratifying
• exalting
• glorifying
• pleasing
• satisfying
• delighting
• adulating
• sweet-talking

3

as in violating

to fail to keep

offended conventional standards of uniformity by not adhering to the company dress code

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violating
• breaking
• breaching
• contravening
• transgressing
• fracturing
• infringing (on or upon)
• traducing
• ignoring
• disobeying
• disregarding
• neglecting
• dismissing
• rebelling
• flouting
• resisting
• slighting
• overlooking
• brushing (off)
• scorning
• passing over
• blowing off
• tuning out
• winking (at)
• withstanding
• defying
• overpassing
• shrugging off
• pooh-poohing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• following
• observing
• conforming (to)
• complying (with)
• serving
• obeying
• submitting (to)
• yielding (to)
• regarding
• hearing
• marking
• listening (to)
• attending
• watching
• noting
• noticing
• minding
• surrendering (to)
• deferring (to)
• heeding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of offending

Adjective

Citizens across the country have been waging a war against the offending facilities, retaliation that has even had leaders of frontier AI labs, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, rattled. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026

Heil says that in the 12 years of legal wrangling that followed, the Pakistani legal system has never presented evidence proving that either brother was truly affiliated with the offending WordPress blog site. — Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Chmerkovskiy quickly took down the offending TikTok, but not before fan screenshots proliferated and Inaba got wind of it. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

And some of the offending treatment plants have been breaking the law repeatedly for over a decade. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026

Fortunately, many dahlia insect problems in September can be solved by walking through the garden in the morning and plucking the offending insects off the plants by hand, then dropping them into a container of soapy water. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026

The sheriff said the jail places strong emphasis on inmate programs designed to reduce re-offending. — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Trump struck the offending clauses and blamed Cohn for having crafted them. — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

The offending stories, according to the Times, focused on security concerns surrounding the new luxurious Air Force One jet, a gift from the Qatari government. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 23 July 2026

Verb

Narratively, the momentum crests at the protest, abetted by Maksimović’s most dynamic cinematic trickery — which extends to a shot from the perspective of the errant, offending stone. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026

Interestingly, there is no statistically detectable difference in offending rates before college, suggesting the future fraternity members weren’t always fundamentally different in their behavior. — Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

What that means is that drone hunter just locked on to the offending drone. — Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

The danger here is not just offending the sensibilities of a group that the marketing team had not considered, but also that group sharing their offense with friends and relatives in their countries of origin. — Ivan Doruda, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

For that, their game — analyzing randomness and violence and doing so without offending our intelligence — has become as important to the American audience as The Game. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

While Presley made appearances on The Milton Berle Show and The Steve Allen Show, among many others, Sullivan had hesitations about platforming the provocative singer, whose dance moves thrilled some audiences while offending others. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2026

The offending quote, which NBC News obtained by using The Wayback Machine internet archive, was published by The Jerusalem Post on Saturday. — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

Instead of pesticides, scout the garden regularly and pick off offending insects by hand. — Paula Weatherby, Florida Times-Union, 5 Sep. 2026