offend

verb
UK: /əˈfend/
US: /əˈfend/

  1. To cause someone to feel upset, angry, or annoyed.

    1. I didn't mean to offend you with my joke.
    2. His rude comments offend many people at the party.

  2. To commit a crime or do something morally wrong.

    1. He will offend the law if he steals the car.
    2. The company offended against environmental regulations.

Synonyms

upset hurt insult displease violate transgress
offend transitive-verb

  1. To be unpleasant to someone's senses or taste.

    1. The strong smell may offend some people.
    2. This bad-tasting medicine offends my taste buds.
offend intransitive-verb

  1. To upset or cause hurt feelings; to be displeasing.

    1. Did I offend when I told you about the cat?
    2. His behavior can offend, so be careful when you meet.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "offend" in English means: To cause someone to feel upset, angry, or annoyed., To commit a crime or do something morally wrong..

The phonetic transcription of "offend" is /əˈfend/ in British English and /əˈfend/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "offend": upset, hurt, insult, displease, violate, transgress.

Example usage of "offend": "I didn't mean to offend you with my joke.". More examples on the page.