offend

offend — verb

1. to upset, annoy, or insult a person by saying or doing something they find rude,

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to upset, annoy, or insult a person by saying or doing something they find rude, embarrassing, or disrespectful — for example, telling a joke about someone's religion in front of them.

例句

Marcus did not mean to offend Aunt Lin when he asked about her age.

offend + person object

Many viewers were offended by the comedian's joke about the earthquake victims.

passive: be offended by + noun

同義詞
  • insult

    stronger and more direct — usually deliberate, while 'offend' may be unintentional

  • upset

    broader — covers any cause of distress, not only rudeness or disrespect

  • hurt

    focuses on emotional pain; 'offend' adds a sense of disrespect or impropriety

  • affront

    formal; emphasises a public insult to dignity or pride

反義詞
  • please

    to give pleasure rather than hurt

  • flatter

    to make someone feel valued or admired

文法句型

offend + somebody

be offended by + noun

be offended that + clause

用法筆記

Frequently passive in the form 'be offended by/that'. Subject is typically a remark, joke, gesture, or behaviour rather than a person, while the object is the person whose feelings are hurt. Distinguish from sense 2 — this sense never refers to breaking laws.

常見錯誤

❌I am offending by his words.
✅I am offended by his words.
💡for the receiver of the insult, use the passive 'be offended', not the active '-ing' form.
❌She offended to me yesterday.
✅She offended me yesterday.
💡this sense is transitive and takes a direct object with no preposition.

2. to break the law by carrying out a criminal act, used especially in legal or off

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to break the law by carrying out a criminal act, used especially in legal or official writing about people who have already been convicted before.

例句

Most young people who offend once do not return to crime as adults.

intransitive: offend with no object

The judge warned Daniel that if he offended again, he would face prison.

offend again (re-offending pattern)

同義詞
  • transgress

    formal and often moral or religious, not only legal

  • re-offend

    narrower — specifically about offending a second or further time

  • break the law

    everyday wording with the same meaning; 'offend' is the official register

反義詞
  • obey

    to follow the law rather than break it

  • comply

    formal — to act in line with rules or court orders

文法句型

offend (no object)

offend again / re-offend

用法筆記

Used mostly in legal, social-work, and policy writing — rarely in everyday speech, where 'commit a crime' or 'break the law' is normal. Subject is always the person doing the wrong, never the act. Distinguish from sense 1 — this sense takes no object and never describes hurting feelings.

常見錯誤

❌He offended a robbery last night.
✅He committed a robbery last night.
💡sense 2 is intransitive, so you cannot place a crime as its direct object.
❌She offended me by stealing my bike.' (meaning she committed a crime against me)
✅She committed a crime against me by stealing my bike.
💡when a victim is named, switch to 'commit a crime'.