ENGLISH
REFERENCE

offend

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //əˈfɛnd// UK //əfˈɛnd// of·fend Archaic General-service

v. to make someone feel upset, angry, or hurt by saying or doing something rude. You might do this by accident if you don't know the local customs.

v. to cause someone to feel resentful, upset, or annoyed, typically by perceived insult or disregard for social conventions. Transitive when referring to the emotional impact on a person.


SIMPLE

I am sorry if I said something to offend you.

CONTEXTUAL

The comedian's jokes were intended to be funny, but they managed to offend several members of the audience.

COMPLEX

Diplomatic protocols are strictly observed during international summits to ensure that no representative inadvertently says anything that might offend a foreign head of state.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle French offendre, from Latin offendō (“strike, blunder, commit an offense”), from ob- (“against”) + *fendō (“strike”).

Usage

The verb is transitive when it means to hurt someone's feelings, but it can be intransitive when referring to the act of committing a crime.

Pitfall

I am offended from your commentI am offended by your commentWhen expressing the cause of the offense, the verb typically takes the preposition 'by' or 'at', not 'from'.

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