Meaning & use
Offend
Last updated
To cause someone to feel hurt, angry, or resentful, typically through a perceived insult or disrespect.
See it in a sentence
His blunt comment about her cooking clearly offended her.
The film's crude humor offended some viewers while delighting others.
A note on using this word
Can also mean to break a law or rule, as in 'offend against public decency', a slightly more formal usage.
Words with a similar meaning
insultupset
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To violate a moral or legal principle.
The proposal offends against basic principles of fairness.
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