offence
offence — noun
1. An action that breaks the law and can be punished by a court of law.
An action that breaks the law and can be punished by a court of law.
Rachid was arrested for a minor drug offence and spent the night in a cell.
collocation: minor offence / serious offence
The new law makes it a criminal offence to use a phone while driving.
pattern: it [be] + a [adjective] offence + to-infinitive
Tamar had no previous offences on her record, so the judge gave her a warning.
The lawyer argued that Ignacio's actions did not amount to a criminal offence.
- crime
the broadest term for any unlawful act punishable by law
- violation
a breach of a specific rule or law, often less severe than a crime
- misdemeanour
a minor criminal offence, less serious than a felony (used mainly in US law)
- defence
the legal argument or action taken to prove innocence
用法筆記
Frequently modified by an adjective describing the type or severity of the act (e.g. criminal, minor, serious, first).
常見錯誤
2. Feelings of being hurt, annoyed, or insulted that arise when someone behaves rud
Feelings of being hurt, annoyed, or insulted that arise when someone behaves rudely or shows a lack of respect.
Christopher didn't mean to cause offence, but his joke about Emily's accent was poorly chosen.
collocation: cause offence
Élise took offence at the remark and refused to speak to her colleague all day.
collocation: take offence at [something]
The comedian's jokes about the local community caused deep offence among the audience members.
Trang was careful to avoid offence when she explained cultural differences to the new students.
- umbrage
formal synonym; 'take umbrage at' means the same as 'take offence at'
- resentment
a longer-lasting feeling of bitterness, not just a reaction to a single remark
- amusement
finding something funny rather than insulting
用法筆記
Common in the fixed expressions 'cause offence', 'take offence (at)', and 'give offence'. The subject causing the offence can be a person, remark, action, or joke. Frequently used in negative or cautionary contexts ('without meaning to cause offence').
常見錯誤
3. A polite phrase said before or after a remark, signalling that the speaker has n
A polite phrase said before or after a remark, signalling that the speaker has no wish to hurt or annoy the listener.
No offence, Romi, but I think we need a completely fresh approach to this problem.
fixed phrase: 'No offence, [name], but…'
Imran meant no offence about the dish; he was simply surprised by the unfamiliar spices.
None taken. I knew you meant no offence by your comments about my work.
Rania said, with no offence intended, that she simply preferred a different kind of music.
用法筆記
The fixed response to 'no offence' is 'none taken', which means the listener is not upset. 'No offence' cannot be used to cancel out a genuinely rude statement — it only works when the speaker truly means no harm.
常見錯誤
4. In American football and similar ball games, the side that holds possession and
In American football and similar ball games, the side that holds possession and tries to score, or the attacking approach of that side.
Hyun plays wide receiver on offence and has scored six touchdowns so far this season.
preposition: on offence (playing in the offensive unit)
The offence struggled in the first half and could not reach the fifty-yard line.
Coach Rania praised the offence for its creative play-calling in the final quarter.
A good defence keeps you in the game, but strong offence adds points to the board.
- attack
the usual term in British English and in soccer/rugby contexts
- offensive unit
a more formal term for the group of attacking players
- defence
the team that tries to stop the other side from scoring
用法筆記
Used mainly in American football, ice hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. In British English 'attack' is more common for the same concept in team sports. When used as a countable noun ('two different offences') it refers to different offensive units or strategies.