offend

Definition of offendnext
1
as in to trespass
to commit an offense since this is the first time you've offended, we'll let you off lightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word offend distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of offend are affront, insult, and outrage. While all these words 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

Where would affront be a reasonable alternative to offend?

The synonyms affront and offend are sometimes interchangeable, but affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When would insult be a good substitute for offend?

In some situations, the words insult and offend are roughly equivalent. However, insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When might outrage be a better fit than offend?

The words outrage and offend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of offend But something about this circus just offends me on a spiritual level. Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 Blazing Saddles, which was just re-ranked as the funniest movie ever made by the American Film Institute, certainly bent every norm and broke every rule, and potentially offended just about everybody — and therefore nobody — in the process. Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026 The president was offended by that. CBS News, 28 June 2026 And if that notion offends you, stay home and watch on television, and turn your man caves into casinos. Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for offend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offend
Verb
  • Instead of Cady as rapist, Cape Fear seems to be going for a general theme of Cady as violator, someone who is trespassing not singularly on a female body but on the Bowdens’ trustworthiness.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • The government has no place to trespass on a founding principle of this nation.
    Molly Parker, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Screenshots shared with The Charlotte Observer by Moore show Bogan has repeatedly messaged Reform Stables’ business associates or fellow event organizers with allegations about the stable and Moore, and insulted him online.
    Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026
  • Sigcho-Lopez then turned around to face aldermen sitting in the back row who appeared to be insulting him during the exchange.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Judge Sullivan concluded in his June 25 decision to order Blanche to release more information or explain himself that Blanche had likely violated the transparency law.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Guests were reportedly required to sign nondisclosure agreements before receiving any event details (although the NDAs were said not to have included any penalties for violating the terms).
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • The woman fell about 1,500 vertical feet, from around 12,000 feet to about 11,500 feet.
    Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • The report will also provide insight into whether American workers’ paychecks are falling further behind inflation.
    Rachel Barber, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • The crime brought the civil rights struggle onto the national stage and outraged President Kennedy.
    Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The shooting has left many in the community outraged.
    Josh Sanders, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Verb
  • Throughout the weekend, someone wandering around Mass MoCA’s campus might have caught excellent mainstage opening acts like Gang of Four (featuring Ted Leo on guitar) or the Breeders, representing two strains of Eighties and Nineties alt/punk rock.
    Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • Most ticks are content to sit and wait for a meal to wander past; lone stars have no patience for that.
    Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Offend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offend. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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