offend
B2Formal to neutral. Common in legal, moral, and social discourse.
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone to feel upset, annoyed, or resentful, especially by violating their standards of what is acceptable or proper.
To commit a crime, violate a law or religious principle, or aesthetically displease.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often involves a perpetrator (subject) and an affected party (object, often with 'by'). Can be used transitively ('offend someone') or intransitively ('offend against the law'). The feeling caused is typically hurt, anger, or moral outrage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use the word similarly. Possibly slightly more frequent in UK English in formal/legal contexts ('offend against').
Connotations
Identical connotations of causing displeasure or committing a violation.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SBJ] offend [OBJ][SBJ] offend against [OBJ (law/principle)][SBJ] be offended by [OBJ]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None that are strongly lexicalised with 'offend' alone.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The advertisement's wording risked offending a key demographic."
Academic
"The scholar's theories offended the prevailing orthodoxy."
Everyday
"I hope I didn't offend you with my joke."
Technical
"The filter removes particles that might offend the required purity standard." (specialised/engineering)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- His crude remarks deeply offended the attendees.
- She was careful not to offend against the local customs.
- The programme was accused of offending public decency.
American English
- The comedian's act offended a lot of people.
- He didn't mean to offend anyone with his comment.
- The new policy might offend against constitutional principles.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The offending vehicle was towed away.
- They removed the offending paragraph from the document.
American English
- He apologised for the offending remark.
- The city fixed the offending pothole.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I am sorry if I offended you.
- Bad smells can offend.
- His joke offended some people in the room.
- It's easy to offend when you don't know the culture.
- The article was accused of offending religious sensibilities.
- The company's advert was withdrawn after it offended thousands.
- The artist's work deliberately seeks to offend bourgeois tastes.
- He was charged with offending against the Official Secrets Act.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FENCE. To OFF-END is to be on the wrong side of someone's personal boundary or rules.
Conceptual Metaphor
SENSIBILITIES ARE PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES (to offend is to trespass/violate). MORAL/LEGAL CODE IS A STRUCTURE (to offend against is to damage/breach).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'предлагать' (to offer).
- Closer to 'оскорблять' (to insult) but broader; can mean 'обидеть' (to hurt feelings) or 'нарушать' (to violate a law).
- Russian 'оффенд' is a false friend and not a standard word.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He was offending by her remarks.' Correct: 'He was offended by her remarks.' (passive requires past participle)
- Incorrect: 'She offended to my family.' Correct: 'She offended my family.' (transitive, no preposition)
- Overuse in informal contexts where 'upset' or 'annoy' is more natural.
Practice
Quiz
In a legal context, 'to offend against' most closely means:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. One can 'unintentionally offend' or 'inadvertently offend' someone. The result (hurt feelings) matters more than the intent.
'Insult' is more direct and verbal, involving contempt or disrespect. 'Offend' is broader; it can be caused by actions, smells, sights, or ideas, and focuses on the hurt reaction.
Yes. You can 'offend against' a law, principle, or standard ('offend against justice'). You can also say something 'offends the eye' (is ugly).
The main noun is 'offence' (UK) / 'offense' (US). The person who offends is an 'offender'. The feeling is 'offence' ('take offence') or 'offensiveness'.