offend

verb

of·fend ə-ˈfend How to pronounce offend (audio)

offended; offending; offends

intransitive verb

: 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

: to violate a law or rule : do wrong

offend against the law

: to cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury

took off his shoe and removed the offending pebble

: to cause dislike, anger, or vexation

thoughtless words that offend needlessly

transitive verb

: violate, transgress

a contract not offending a statute … might still be in restraint of trade

C. A. Cooke

: to cause pain to : hurt

tasteless billboards that offend the eye

obsolete : to cause to sin or fall

: 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 noun

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web No one has a right to maim or kill someone because our words offend them.

Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2022 Until recently, the idea of the U.S. and Japan fighting together to help Taiwan beat back a Chinese invasion was more of a theoretical notion, and Japan was often at pains not to offend China, its biggest trading partner.

Peter Landers, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 Even live, Berens (largely) eschewed expletives and explicit topics (beyond some PG-13-level innuendo), and his playful ribbing wouldn't offend anybody.

Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2022 And with all the belt-tightening and revenue-seeking going on at Netflix, saying no to a crazy-expensive sequel might not even offend the artists involved.

John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 July 2022 The painter’s depictions of prostitutes and drunks living in miserable poverty offend the aesthetics of Norway’s art establishment and challenge the canon to the point of sabotaging his rediscovery.

Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Apr. 2022 For the design-obsessed, there are also plenty of aesthetically pleasing fans out there that won't offend your exacting eye.

Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 27 June 2022 Without the burden of respectability, of shouldering stories for an entire community, the show is free to be light, frothy, melodramatic, and unafraid to offend.

Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 29 July 2022 The very question of affordability seemed to offend him.

Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2022 See More

offend

verb

as in to wander

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

wander
fall
stray
transgress
trespass
violate
err
sin
infringe
fall from grace
break the law
breach
break
lapse
backslide
mess up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

forgive
justify
pardon
regret
repent
rue

as in to insult

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

insult
outrage
displease
disturb
affront
disrespect
hurt
upset
taunt
wound
slap
trouble
diss
mock
slight
dis
ridicule
disparage
oppress
snub
distress
defame
pain
miff
malign
revile
slander
persecute
jeer
torment
libel
torture
slur
cut
smear
sneer (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

approve
applaud
commend
compliment
hail
eulogize
praise
flatter
honor
please
acclaim
exalt
gratify
satisfy
glorify
delight
adulate
sweet-talk

as in to violate

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

violate
break
transgress
contravene
breach
traduce
fracture
disobey
ignore
infringe (on or upon)
disregard
neglect
rebel
flout
dismiss
slight
resist
overlook
scorn
pass over
tune out
blow off
defy
withstand
pooh
shrug off
pooh-pooh
overpass
brush (off)
wink (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

obey
follow
serve
observe
conform (to)
mind
hear
comply (with)
yield (to)
submit (to)
listen (to)
regard
notice
attend
watch
surrender (to)
defer (to)
mark
note
heed

Synonym Chooser

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

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

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

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

单词	offend
释义	offend 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 offend against the law 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 She carefully worded her comments so as not to offend anyone. offender noun Synonyms err fall sin stray transgress trespass wander See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences 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. See More Recent Examples on the Web No one has a right to maim or kill someone because our words offend them. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2022 Until recently, the idea of the U.S. and Japan fighting together to help Taiwan beat back a Chinese invasion was more of a theoretical notion, and Japan was often at pains not to offend China, its biggest trading partner. Peter Landers, WSJ, 5 Aug. 2022 Even live, Berens (largely) eschewed expletives and explicit topics (beyond some PG-13-level innuendo), and his playful ribbing wouldn't offend anybody. Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2022 And with all the belt-tightening and revenue-seeking going on at Netflix, saying no to a crazy-expensive sequel might not even offend the artists involved. John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 July 2022 The painter’s depictions of prostitutes and drunks living in miserable poverty offend the aesthetics of Norway’s art establishment and challenge the canon to the point of sabotaging his rediscovery. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Apr. 2022 For the design-obsessed, there are also plenty of aesthetically pleasing fans out there that won't offend your exacting eye. Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 27 June 2022 Without the burden of respectability, of shouldering stories for an entire community, the show is free to be light, frothy, melodramatic, and unafraid to offend. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 29 July 2022 The very question of affordability seemed to offend him. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 30 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology 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 14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a Phrases Containing offend offend the eye offend the eye Kids Definition offend verb of·fend ə-ˈfend 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? Legal Definition offend intransitive verb of·fend ə-ˈfend : to commit an offense offend verb 1 as in to wander to commit an offense since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance wander fall stray transgress trespass violate err sin infringe fall from grace break the law breach break lapse backslide mess up Antonyms & Near Antonyms forgive justify pardon regret repent rue 2 as in to insult 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 insult outrage displease disturb affront disrespect hurt upset taunt wound slap trouble diss mock slight dis ridicule disparage oppress snub distress defame pain miff malign revile slander persecute jeer torment libel torture slur cut smear sneer (at) Antonyms & Near Antonyms approve applaud commend compliment hail eulogize praise flatter honor please acclaim exalt gratify satisfy glorify delight adulate sweet-talk See More 3 as in to violate to fail to keep offended conventional standards of uniformity by not adhering to the company dress code Synonyms & Similar Words violate break transgress contravene breach traduce fracture disobey ignore infringe (on or upon) disregard neglect rebel flout dismiss slight resist overlook scorn pass over tune out blow off defy withstand pooh shrug off pooh-pooh overpass brush (off) wink (at) Antonyms & Near Antonyms obey follow serve observe conform (to) mind hear comply (with) yield (to) submit (to) listen (to) regard notice attend watch surrender (to) defer (to) mark note heed See More Synonym Chooser 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 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 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 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
随便看	bloodthirsty bloodwealth bloodweed bloodwit bloodwite bloodwood bloodwoods bloodwork bloodworm bloodworms bloodwort bloodwort family bloodworts bloody bloody bark bloody bread bloody clam bloody dock bloody fingers bloody hand bloody hell bloody man's fingers Bloody Mary bloody marys bloody murder

offend

verb

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing offend

Kids Definition

verb

Legal Definition

intransitive verb

verb

Synonym Chooser