OFFEND

Offend, v. pa. tense and pa. pple. offended. [OF offendre, from Latin offendere, to strike against, stumble, commit a fault, displease, vex, hurt, injure, etc. from of- (see OB-) + -fendere (found only in compounds, as in defend) to thrust, dash. = Sp. Offender It. Offendere.]

Conjugates or derivatives:
Unoffending, unoffended, unoffendedly; unoffendable, inoffensive, inoffensively, inoffensiveness; offence, offense, offenceless, offencelessly, offendable, offendant, offender, offending, offensible, offensive, offensively, offensiveness.

Intransitive:
1. a. To strike with the feet against something, to stumble. Obs. rare.

If men walk in the darkness, they offend.

b. To "stumble" in respect to conduct; to err in conduct; to commit a crime, or fault; to fail in duty; transgress. Const. against. (Obs. with to, unto.) (The Italian offendere contro a una persona is obs.)

That only those […] who will never again offend against the law should be paroled. Fred Finsley. Webster’s Third Ed.

c. Scot. Rare. To be offended.

The King did highly offend at his escape. Spottiswood (Hist. Ch. Scot.) 1639 OED

2. To cause dislike, anger, or vexation; to displease.

Its harsh and unsteady light offends. E. Poe (Estéf.)

Transitive:

1. a To wrong (a person); to violate or transgress (a law, etc.). Obs. OED.

Marry Sir, he hath offended the Law. (Shakes.) 1603 OED

The person offended, is your friend.

b To attack, assault, assail; also absol. to act on the offensive. Obs.

The fiercest Tygers […] shall not offend you, whilst [I am] by your side. 1653 Nissena OED

Don Quixote, […] very proud to see how well his squire defended and offended. A. J. Duffield (Don Quix.) 1881 OED

c To strike so as to hurt; to wound, to hurt; to cause to have bodily pain; to harm. Obs.

Semantic Identity: Italian: offendere; French: Offenser (arch.); Spanish: Ofender (arch.).

The heat […] will offend one's hand at several times the distance. Boyle (Effects of Mot.) 1685 OED

The Passage of the Sword […] penetrated into the Thorax, without offending the Lungs. J. S. (Le Dran's Observ. Surg.) 1758 OED

d To cause to stumble in respect to conduct. Obs.

7. To grieve; to affect (somebody) with disrespect; to be displeasing or disagreeable to; to vex, annoy, displease, anger; now esp. To excite a feeling of personal annoyance, resentment in (any one).

Semantic Identity: Italian: offendere; French: Offenser (arch.); Spanish: Ofender (arch.).

Let not my words offend thee.

If I were not afraid to offend the delicacy of polite ears. Berkeley (Alciphr.) 1732 OED

You shake your head. A random string Your finer female sense offends. Tennyson Day-Dream 1842 OED

The light offended my eyes. J. Swift. (Gulliver’s Travels)

[M. Beauvais] had some personal interviews with the editor of L'Etoile, and offended him by venturing an opinion that the corpse, notwithstanding the theory of the editor, was, in sober fact, that of Marie. E. Poe


My eyes, accustomed to quiet lights, were sadly offended by the prodigious glare of a multitude of wax candles, which, in silver candelabra, were deposited upon the table, and all about the room, wherever it was possible to find a place. E. Poe

b. To be offended: to be displeased, vexed, or annoyed. Now, usually, To feel personal annoyance; to feel hurt, to take offence. Const. with, at, or with clause.

I find some people are offended that I have turned these tales into modern English, because they think them unworthy of my pains. Dryden (Fables) 1700 OED

You cannot think of them together without being offended at the labour and timidity of Claude. J. Eagles (Sketcher) 1833–6 OED

Don't be offended because I decline to do you an additional wrong. Kelly (Sch. for Wives) 1774 OED

Mod. He was highly offended at being passed over. You are offended with me. I assure you I am not in the least offended. OED.

Syn. Affront, anger, annoy, insult, vex.
Ant. Delight, please, gratify, satisfy.