of·fend
Audio Help [uh-fend] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [uh-fend] Pronunciation Key –verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
| 1. | to irritate, annoy, or anger; cause resentful displeasure in: Even the hint of prejudice offends me. |
| 2. | to affect (the sense, taste, etc.) disagreeably. |
| 3. | to violate or transgress (a criminal, religious, or moral law). |
| 4. | to hurt or cause pain to. |
| 5. | (in Biblical use) to cause to fall into sinful ways. |
| 6. | to cause resentful displeasure; irritate, annoy, or anger: a remark so thoughtless it can only offend. |
| 7. | to err in conduct; commit a sin, crime, or fault. |
[Origin: 1275–1325; ME offenden < MF offendre < L offendere to strike against, displease, equiv. to of- of- + -fendere to strike
]
] —Related forms
of·fend·a·ble, adjective
of·fend·ed·ly, adverb
of·fend·ed·ness, noun
of·fend·er, noun
—Synonyms 1. provoke, chafe, nettle, affront, insult. 7. transgress.
—Antonyms 1. please.
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
offend
To learn more about offend visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| of·fend
Audio Help (ə-fěnd') Pronunciation Key
v. of·fend·ed, of·fend·ing, of·fends v. tr.
v. intr.
[Middle English offenden, from Old French offendre, from Latin offendere; see gwhen- in Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: These verbs mean to cause resentment, humiliation, or hurt. To offend is to cause displeasure, wounded feelings, or repugnance in another: "He often offended men who might have been useful friends" (John Lothrop Motley). |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
offend
c.1320, "to sin against (someone)," from M.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 step, to commit a crime" is from 1382." Meaning "to wound the feelings" is from late 14c. The literal sense of "to attack, assail" is attested from c.1374; this has been lost in Mod.Eng., but is preserved in offense and offensive.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| offend | |
verb | |
| 1. | cause to feel resentment or indignation; "Her tactless remark offended me" [syn: pique] |
| 2. | act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise" [syn: transgress] [ant: keep] |
| 3. | strike with disgust or revulsion; "The scandalous behavior of this married woman shocked her friends" [syn: shock] |
| 4. | hurt the feelings of; "She hurt me when she did not include me among her guests"; "This remark really bruised my ego" [syn: hurt] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
offend1 [əˈfend] verb
to make feel upset or angry
Example: If you don't go to her party she will be offended; His criticism offended her.
offend2 [əˈfend] verbExample: If you don't go to her party she will be offended; His criticism offended her.
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to be unpleasant or disagreeable
Example: Cigarette smoke offends me.
See also: be on the offensive, offence, offender, offensive, take offenceExample: Cigarette smoke offends me.
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
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. 2. To displease; to make angry; to affront. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city. --Prov. xviii. 19. 3. To be offensive to; to harm; to pain; to annoy; as, strong light offends the eye; to offend the conscience. 4. To transgress; to violate; to sin against. [Obs.] Marry, sir, he hath offended the law. --Shak. 5. (Script.) To oppose or obstruct in duty; to cause to stumble; to cause to sin or to fall. [Obs.] Who hath you misboden or offended. --Chaucer. If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out . . . And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off. --Matt. v. 29, 3O. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. --Ps. cxix. 165.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
offend
offend: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary
| On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB |
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