Offend (Verb)
Meaning 1
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".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Her reckless behavior offended every rule of road safety and put many lives at risk.
- The company's decision to dump toxic waste in the local river offended the environmental protection laws of the country.
- By lying to the investors, the CEO offended the terms of the contract and could be sued for damages.
- The driver's careless maneuvering offended the traffic laws and caused a serious accident.
- The politician's unethical dealings offended the promises he made to his constituency during the election campaign.
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Meaning 2
Strike with disgust or revulsion; "The scandalous behavior of this married woman shocked her friends".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- The gruesome details of the crime scene were enough to offend even the most hardened detectives.
- Her habitual use of profanity started to offend several of her colleagues in the workplace.
- The sight of extreme poverty offended his sense of justice and compassion.
- Seeing the politician's multiple corrupt dealings offend the public's trust in government.
- The explicit content in the movie offend many audience members who expected a more family-friendly experience.
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Meaning 3
Hurt the feelings of; "She hurt me when she did not include me among her guests"; "This remark really bruised my ego".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- His comment was thoughtless and will deeply offend the family of the deceased.
- The politician's speech was designed not to offend any particular group, so it was deliberately vague.
- The artist realized that her latest painting might offend some viewers with its graphic content.
- It was not his intention to offend her, but his careless words left her feeling wounded.
- She made a point to choose her words carefully to avoid offense, as she knew her style could easily offend certain people.
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Meaning 4
Cause to feel resentment or indignation; "Her tactless remark offended me".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- His insensitive comments usually offend someone at every meeting.
- The derogatory term offended the entire community.
- The comedian's jokes were so bold they offended several people in the audience.
- Her tactless remark offended me and I stopped talking to her for a while.
- The politician's statement offended many of her former supporters.