offend
/əˈfɛnd/ verb B2- To hurt the feelings of; to displease; to make angry; to insult. · Your accusations offend me deeply.
- To feel or become offended; to take insult. · Don't worry. I don't offend easily.
- To physically harm, pain. · Strong light offends the eye.
- To annoy, cause discomfort or resent. · Physically enjoyable frivolity can still offend the conscience
- To sin, transgress divine law or moral rules.
- To transgress or violate a law or moral requirement. · Wearing faded baggy offends against the club's rules of proper dress.
He/she/it offends · Past offended · Past participle offended · -ing form offending
Verb forms
- Base form
- offend
- He/she/it
- offends
- Past
- offended
- Past participle
- offended
- -ing form
- offending
From the library
Rachel got up with an air of offended dignity.
Some remarks of his had given him this idea; though he had never told him what the society was, nor how he had come to offend it.
The count went to his secrétaire, opened it, and pulling out a drawer filled with gold, said to Franz, “I hope you will not offend me by applying to anyone but myself.”
“I have said all I have to say,” said Gregson, in an offended voice.
Learn offend in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.