offendverb
uk/əˈfend/us/əˈfend/offend verb (UPSET)
B2 [ T ] to make someone upset or angry:
[ + that ] I think she was offended that she hadn't been invited to the party.
He looked offended when you called him middle-aged.
If the sight of a few dirty dishes offends you, then I think you're in trouble!
More examples
- I really didn't mean to offend her - I just said it unthinkingly.
- I'm sorry if I offended you - I didn't mean any harm.
- I've never knowingly offended him.
- I didn't dare say anything for fear of offending him.
- Richard succeeded in offending just about everybody in the room!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making people sad, shocked and upset
- aback
- amiss
- appal
- be laughing on the other side of your face idiom
- bite
- burn
- haunt
- hit/touch a (raw) nerve idiom
- horrify
- hurt sb's feelings idiom
- hurtful
- laugh
- mess
- nose
- shake
- take sb aback
- tear sb apart
- tear sb's heart out idiom
- torture
- traumatize
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offend verb (COMMIT CRIME)
[ I ] law to commit a crime:
Obviously if a police officer offends it's a fairly serious matter.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Obeying & breaking the law
- abide
- adhere
- afoul
- bend the law/rules idiom
- breach
- break
- breaker
- clean
- clean up your act idiom
- commit
- compliant
- conform
- contravene
- disobey
- hold
- observe
- perpetrate
- respect
- venal
- violate
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Phrasal verb(s)
offend against sth