offend

Offend is a verb meaning to cause someone to feel upset, hurt, or resentful, often by saying or doing something insulting or inappropriate. It can also mean to violate a rule, law, or standard, as in the phrase to offend against the rules. The noun form offense (American spelling) or offence (British spelling) refers to the act of offending or to a violation, and the idiom take offense describes someone becoming upset or affronted.

Etymology traces offend to Old French offender, from Latin offendere “to strike against,” with the sense broadening over time from a physical strike to an emotional or moral impact. The development in English centers on causing distress or harm by words or actions, or on contravening norms and laws.

Usage notes: Offend is typically transitive (“She offended him with a joke”) but can also be used in the sense of violating standards (“The remark offended against decency”). The adjective offensive describes something likely to cause offense, and the noun offense/offence covers both moral/legal violations and the feeling of being offended. Phrases such as “take offense,” “give offense,” or “offend someone’s sensibilities” are common in everyday language and formal discourse alike, reflecting interpersonal, cultural, or legal dimensions of the term.

See also: insult, etiquette, sensitivity, morality, law, blasphemy.