Offends

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Causes hurt or upset feelings in someone ; violates a rule or law and is considered wrong
2. Provokes unpleasant emotions by being rude or insensitive ; acts against established laws or regulations
3. Inflicts emotional pain or indignation on a person ; commits an act that is legally or morally wrongful

Etymology: "Offends" is the third-person singular form of "offend", so its history is that of the verb itself. The verb descends from Latin "offendere", a compound of "ob-", meaning "against", and a root meaning "strike", so at its heart the word once described physically striking or stumbling against something. Latin writers used it for hitting an object and also for committing a blunder or wrongdoing, and that second sense is the one that carried into later use. The word reached English through Middle French "offendre", which kept the sense of transgressing or doing wrong. From there English took on the idea of causing displeasure or hurt to someone, which is the sense of wounding someone's feelings used today. The physical image of striking against something survives in the idea of an obstacle or an offence as a thing one runs into.

Synonyms: irritates, annoys

Antonyms: pleases