offend

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An offense is an action that hurts someone's feelings or makes them upset.

When we say something offends us, it usually means that what was said or done made us feel uncomfortable, annoyed, or even angry. For example, if a friend tells a joke that you find really insensitive, and you think it hurt some people in the group, you might say that the joke offended someone. Or, if a company puts a slogan on their product that you think is racist, it could be said to offend many people. Offense can also come from words or actions that are considered rude or insulting. In any case, an offense is something that makes us feel hurt, annoyed, or upset because of what was done or said.

How common is "offend"?

Word offend is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
Definitions

verb

  • (transitive) To hurt the feelings of; to displease; to make angry; to insult.

    Example: Your accusations offend me deeply.

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