get offended

Meanings

1. 1phraseintransitive

   to become upset or angry because you feel someone has been rude or disrespectful to you

   Grammar: Used without an object; often followed by 'by' or 'at' to name the cause: get offended by a joke.

   Patterns

   • get offended by something
   • get offended at something
   • get offended when ...

   She got offended by his comment about her cooking.

   Don't get offended—I was only teasing you.

   He gets offended easily when people forget his name.

2. 2phraseintransitive

   to feel hurt or annoyed on behalf of someone else because you think they were treated badly

   Grammar: Often followed by 'for' plus the person you are defending: get offended for someone.

   Patterns

   • get offended for someone
   • get offended on someone's behalf

   I got offended for my sister when the waiter ignored her.

   He gets offended on behalf of his students when they are criticized unfairly.

Common combinations

get offended by

Many people get offended by jokes about their families.

get offended easily

She gets offended easily, so be careful what you say.

get offended at

He got offended at the way she spoke to him.

be offended

She was offended by his rude remark.

Synonyms and how they differ

take offense

This is very similar but slightly more formal and often suggests a deliberate reaction; 'get offended' is more neutral and common in speech.

be insulted

This focuses on the insult itself rather than the feeling; you can be insulted without getting offended if you don't care.

Commonly confused: get offended or offend?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “get offended”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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