offend
To upset someone by being rude or unkind.
offend in a sentence
- Ella did not mean to offend her friend, but her joke about his painting hurt his feelings.
- Try not to offend the chef by leaving your plate untouched; he would feel hurt after working so hard on that pie.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to offend?
- Aupset
- Bdelight
- Ccharm
- Dplease
Show the answer
A: upset. The other three mean the opposite of offend.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to offend?
- Aupset
- Binsult
- Churt
- Dplease
Show the answer
D: please. The other three mean nearly the same as offend.
Words that mean something similar
upset, insult, hurt
Words that mean the opposite
please, delight, charm
More words about behaviour & manners
- oppose: To be against something and try to stop it.
- oppress: To treat people cruelly and unfairly, keeping them under control.
- painstaking: Done with great care and attention to every detail.
- pamper: To look after someone with too much care and comfort.
- pardon: To forgive someone for something they have done wrong.
- pester: To annoy someone by bothering them again and again.
- plunder: To steal goods by force, especially during a battle or raid.
- prim: Very neat, proper and easily shocked by rude things.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test