offended; offending; offends
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
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
1
a
: violate, transgress
a contract not offending a statute … might still be in restraint of trade—C. A. Cooke
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
Examples of offend in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
By a majority vote, the council can direct an offending council member to retract a statement or make an apology.
—Lux Butler, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Evidently, there are some anti-vaxxers (or at least one) in my son-in-law’s family, and Siena’s comment must have offended one or more of them.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s because Webster’s definition of the offending word, unlike those proffered by competitors like the Oxford English Dictionary, elides the sense of mastery in which the loose-lipped Frank used it.
—Chris Klimek, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
To begin with, almost all of the people who claim to have been offended by Buckley’s performance never saw it.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024
Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
There’s another reason that considering watches as fashion items offends some watch enthusiasts.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
Because that would mean offending Muslim voters or left-wing activists.
—Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
But some folks were offended when Disney shut down Splash Mountain because of the racist film that inspired the popular ride, and made plans to replace it with an attraction based on the company’s first Black princess.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Lux Butler, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
Evidently, there are some anti-vaxxers (or at least one) in my son-in-law’s family, and Siena’s comment must have offended one or more of them.
—Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s because Webster’s definition of the offending word, unlike those proffered by competitors like the Oxford English Dictionary, elides the sense of mastery in which the loose-lipped Frank used it.
—Chris Klimek, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
To begin with, almost all of the people who claim to have been offended by Buckley’s performance never saw it.
—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024
Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
There’s another reason that considering watches as fashion items offends some watch enthusiasts.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024
Because that would mean offending Muslim voters or left-wing activists.
—Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
But some folks were offended when Disney shut down Splash Mountain because of the racist film that inspired the popular ride, and made plans to replace it with an attraction based on the company’s first Black princess.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near offend
Cite this Entry
“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offend. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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