INDEX:
1. to offend someone
2. to feel offended
3. easily offended
4. words for describing behaviour, remarks etc that offend people
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ INSULT
↑ RUDE
↑ ANGRY
↑ UPSET
↑ CRITICIZE
↑ REVENGE
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1. to offend someone
▷ offend /əˈfend/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to make someone angry or upset by doing something that they think is socially or morally unacceptable or by being rude to them :
▪ The programme contains scenes that may offend older viewers.
▪ She stopped mid-sentence, anxious not to offend him.
▪ He didn’t speak during the meeting for fear of saying something that might offend.
offend (somebody’s) sensibilities
▪ He is a sensitive man, and it is not difficult to offend his sensibilities.
▷ insult /ɪnˈsʌlt/ [transitive verb]
to make someone very angry and upset, for example by doing something that shows you have little respect for them or do not think that they are very good at something :
▪ In some cultures, you insult your host if you do not accept their offer of food.
insult somebody by doing something
▪ I won’t insult you by explaining the rules of the game.
insult somebody’s intelligence
treat someone as if they are stupid
▪ questions that insult the intelligence of the interviewee
insult /ˈɪnsʌlt/ [countable noun]
▪ She took it as a personal insult that you did not ask her opinion about your book.
▷ get/put somebody’s back up /ˌget, ˌpʊt somebodyˈs ˈbæk ʌp/ [verb phrase not in passive] British informal
to make someone annoyed, especially without intending to :
▪ It really gets my back up when salesmen call round to the house.
▪ He treats everyone like children, and that’s why he puts people’s backs up.
▷ cause offence /ˌkɔːz əˈfens/ [verb phrase]
to offend someone - use this about words or actions that were not intended to offend anyone :
▪ He later appeared on television to apologize for causing offence.
cause offence to
▪ I hope I didn’t cause offence to anyone when I left early.
cause great offence
▪ A remark that is considered humorous in one culture can cause great offence in another.
2. to feel offended
▷ offended /əˈfendɪd, əˈfendəd/ [adjective not before noun]
▪ She’ll be offended if you don’t say thank you for her help.
offended by
▪ He’s always offended by jokes aimed at Irish people.
offended that
▪ He felt offended that she didn’t want to go out with him.
deeply offended
▪ Some people may find rude jokes funny, but others may be deeply offended.
▷ insulted /ɪnˈsʌltɪd, ɪnˈsʌltəd/ [adjective not before noun]
very angry and upset, for example because someone has done something that shows they have little respect for you or your abilities :
▪ Molly would be insulted if we didn’t go and see her while we were in town.
insulted by
▪ Please don’t be insulted by anything I say.
insulted that
▪ He felt insulted that they had not told him about the party.
deeply insulted
▪ We must eat as much as possible, or she will be deeply insulted.
▷ slighted /ˈslaɪtɪd, ˈslaɪtəd/ [adjective not before noun]
offended, especially because someone has not included you in their plans :
▪ The guest list was very short, so no-one felt slighted because they hadn’t been invited.
▷ put out /ˌpʊt ˈaʊt/ [adjective not before noun]
offended and surprised, especially because you feel that you have not been treated fairly :
▪ When she said I was interfering, I was a bit put out.
put out about
▪ She was rather put out about being described as plain.
put out by
▪ The minister was not put out by the note of impatience in Cohen’s voice.
▷ take offence /ˌteɪk əˈfens/ [verb phrase]
to feel offended by something someone says or does, especially something that does not seem serious to other people :
▪ Don’t mention her hairstyle. She’ll probably take offence.
▪ Please don’t take offence, but I would prefer you not to swear in front of the children.
take offence at
▪ He didn’t seem to take offence at my lack of enthusiasm for his idea.
be quick to take offence
▪ He described her as a woman who is temperamental and quick to take offence.
▷ take something personally /ˌteɪk something ˈpɜːʳs ə n ə li/ [verb phrase]
to feel offended by something, especially a criticism, even though it was not aimed at one particular person :
▪ Anna took it personally when the boss said some people were not working hard enough.
▪ This is a general criticism, so I hope none of you will take it personally.
▪ I didn’t take his rebuff too personally, since I was used to his habit of being rude to his juniors.
▷ take something the wrong way /ˌteɪk something ðə ˌrɒŋ ˈweɪǁ-ˌrɔːŋ-/ [verb phrase]
to be offended by something someone says or does when it was not intended to offend you and you have understood it in the wrong way :
▪ Daniel sat in silence, afraid whatever he said would be taken the wrong way.
▪ Don’t take this the wrong way, but your driving has really improved.
▷ take exception to /ˌteɪk ɪkˈsepʃ ə n tu:/ [verb phrase] formal
to feel offended by something someone says, and to make it clear that you feel this way :
▪ I took exception to what he said about my family.
▪ Paul took exception to her advice, which he said undermined his self-esteem.
take great exception to something
▪ I take great exception to the suggestion that I neglected my responsibilities.
3. easily offended
▷ be/get easily offended /biː, get ˌiːzə̇li əˈfendə̇d/ [verb phrase]
▪ Be careful what you say to Jenny; she’s oversensitive and easily offended.
be/get easily offended by
▪ Barry gets easily offended by comments about his parents’ divorce.
▷ touchy /ˈtʌtʃi/ [adjective]
too easily offended, especially so that people are afraid to talk to you, or offer advice :
▪ Some authors get very touchy if you make even the slightest alteration to their work.
▪ Why are you so touchy today?
touchy about
▪ He’s a great manager, but he is very touchy about his lack of qualifications.
▷ sensitive /ˈsensɪtɪv, ˈsensətɪv/ [adjective]
very easily offended by a particular thing :
▪ Paul is too sensitive for this job. He can’t take even the smallest criticism.
sensitive about
▪ He’s sensitive about his bad teeth, so try not to look at them.
▪ My children are very sensitive about being treated in a patronising way.
▷ prude /pruːd/ [countable noun]
someone who is easily offended by anything that is rude or connected with sex, especially in a way that other people think is unnecessary :
▪ Sarah’s no prude, but she thought some of the sex scenes were quite shocking.
prudish [adjective]
▪ Her mother was very prudish about sexual matters.
▷ over-sensitive /ˌəʊvəʳ ˈsensə̇tɪv/ [adjective]
someone who is over-sensitive gets offended and upset very easily, because they always think other people are criticizing them, making fun of them etc :
▪ It’s not unusual for artists to be over-sensitive about their work.
▪ Of course he wasn’t saying you were overweight - you’re just being over-sensitive.
4. words for describing behaviour, remarks etc that offend people
▷ offensive /əˈfensɪv/ [adjective]
▪ Throughout the football game a small section of the crowd was chanting offensive slogans.
▪ The BBC received a number of complaints about the offensive remarks made during the interview.
deeply offensive
very offensive
▪ These pornographic magazines are deeply offensive to women.
offensive to
▪ Your comments are offensive to all Jews.
offensively [adverb]
▪ As usual, he got drunk and behaved offensively towards the guests.
▷ insulting /ɪnˈsʌltɪŋ/ [adjective]
behaviour, remarks etc that are insulting offend someone a lot because they show a lack of respect for them or for their ability, honesty etc :
▪ It’s insulting when people assume I must be a racist because I’m from the South.
deeply insulting
very insulting
▪ I find your criticism deeply insulting.
insulting to
▪ advice that is extremely insulting to unemployed people
▷ be an insult to /biː ən ˈɪnsʌlt tuː/ [verb phrase]
to offend a particular person or group of people by showing little respect for their intelligence, ability, beliefs etc :
▪ Leaders described the mosque’s destruction as an insult to Muslims.
be an insult to somebody’s intelligence/ability etc
▪ The lesson was awful. It was an insult to our intelligence.
▪ If I didn’t finish this meal it would be an insult to your superb cooking.
▷ objectionable /əbˈdʒekʃ ə nəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is objectionable is likely to offend people because it is morally unacceptable or very unpleasant :
▪ I thought the bedroom scenes were pretty objectionable and unnecessary.
▪ Our goal is to get rid of many of the objectionable features of capitalism.
highly/deeply objectionable
▪ I find it highly objectionable to have to sit near people who are smoking.