offend

offend
verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French offendre, from Latin offendere to strike against, offend, from ob- against + -fendere to strike — more at ob-, defend Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. a. to transgress the moral or divine law ; sin <
if it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive — 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 b. to cause pain to ; hurt 2. obsolete to cause to sin or fall 3. to cause to feel vexation or resentment usually by violation of what is proper or fitting <
was offended by their language
>
offender noun Synonyms: offend, outrage, affront, insult 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
>
. outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings <
outraged by their accusations
>
. affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy <
deeply affronted by his callousness
>
. insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame <
insulted every guest at the party
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Offend — Of*fend, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Offended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Offending}.] [OF. offendre, L. offendere, offensum; ob (see {Ob }) + fendere (in comp.) to thrust, dash. See {Defend}.] 1. To strike against; to attack; to assail. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • offend — of‧fend [əˈfend] verb 1. [intransitive] LAW to do something that is a crime: • What can be done to stop criminals offending again? 2. [intransitive, transitive] to make someone angry or upset: • The advertisement was never intended to offend… …   Financial and business terms

  • Offend — Of*fend , v. i. 1. To transgress the moral or divine law; to commit a crime; to stumble; to sin. [1913 Webster] Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James ii. 10. [1913 Webster] If it be a sin to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • offend — offend, outrage, affront, insult mean to cause vexation or resentment or damage to self respect. One offends by displeasing another, by hurting his feelings, or by violating his sense of what is proper or fitting {if the First Amendment means… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • offend — I (insult) verb abuse, affront, anger, annoy, be discourteous, be impolite, chagrin, displease, distress, disturb, embarrass, enrage, gall, horrify, hurt, incense, inflame, infuriate, injure, irk, irritate, laedere, madden, make angry, mortify,… …   Law dictionary

  • offend — [ə fend′] vi. [ME offenden < OFr offendre < L offendere, to strike against < ob (see OB ) + fendere, to hit, strike: see DEFEND] 1. to break a law, religious commandment, etc.; commit a sin or crime 2. to create resentment, anger, or… …   English World dictionary

  • offend — (v.) early 14c., to sin against (someone), from O.Fr. offendre, from L. offendere strike against, stumble, commit a fault, displease, from ob against + fendere to strike (found only in compounds). Meaning to violate (a law), to make a moral false …   Etymology dictionary

  • offend — [v] displease, insult affront, aggrieve, anger, annoy, antagonize, be disagreeable, disgruntle, disgust, disoblige, distress, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, horrify, hurt, irritate, jar, miff, nauseate, nettle, outrage, pain, pique, provoke,… …   New thesaurus

  • offend — ► VERB 1) cause to feel hurt or resentful. 2) be displeasing to. 3) commit an act that is illegal or that goes against an accepted principle. DERIVATIVES offender noun. ORIGIN Latin offendere strike against …   English terms dictionary

  • offend — of|fend [əˈfend] v [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: offendre, from Latin offendere to strike against, offend ] 1.) [I and T] to make someone angry or upset by doing or saying something that they think is rude, unkind etc ▪ His remarks… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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