umbrage

An umbrage is a feeling of being offended or annoyed by someone's words or actions. You might take umbrage at something your friend said to hurt your feelings.

When people take umbrage with someone, it usually means they're upset and feel like their pride has been wounded. This can happen when someone makes a comment that seems insensitive or thoughtless, even if they didn't mean to cause any harm. For example, let's say your coworker jokingly teases you about wearing a new hairstyle. If this really bothers you, you might take umbrage at their comment and ask them to be more careful with what they say. However, sometimes people take umbrage for reasons that are not entirely justified - maybe the joke was just meant as a lighthearted way of breaking the ice.

It's worth noting that the word "umbrage" can also mean a complaint or protest about something, often because it affects someone's rights or interests. In this case, you might hear someone say they've taken umbrage with a new policy at work, implying that it unfairly targets certain groups of employees.