offended

offended — adjective

1. experiencing a hurt or upset reaction because of something someone says or does

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

experiencing a hurt or upset reaction because of something someone says or does that you consider disrespectful, rude, or humiliating

Example

Chidi looked truly offended when his boss dismissed his idea without listening.

look + offended (linking verb + adjective)

Defne was offended by the joke that made fun of her native language.

be offended by [cause] (passive)

Common collocations
  • deeply offended
  • easily offended
  • visibly offended
  • truly offended
  • offended by
  • offended at
  • offended that
  • feel offended
  • get offended
  • look offended
Synonyms
  • insulted

    stronger than offended; suggests a deliberate personal attack on one's dignity

  • hurt

    more general; focuses on emotional pain without necessarily implying rudeness

  • upset

    broader in meaning; covers any cause of distress, not just rude behaviour

  • resentful

    implies the feeling lasts longer and involves bitterness or anger

Antonyms
  • pleased

    the opposite emotional state of satisfaction or happiness

  • flattered

    a positive reaction to attention or praise, the opposite of feeling insulted

Grammar Patterns

be/feel/look/seem + offended

be offended + by + [cause]

be offended + that-clause

Usage Note

Frequently appears after linking verbs such as be, feel, look, seem, or get. The cause of the feeling is often introduced by the preposition by or by a that-clause. Can also be modified by adverbs like deeply, truly, visibly, or easily.

Common Mistakes

I am very offense by your comment.
I am very offended by your comment.
'offended' is the adjective; 'offense' is a noun.
She was offending by his rude tone.
She was offended by his rude tone.
use the -ed form, not -ing, for the feeling.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe negative reactions to something someone says or does, but they differ in intensity and focus. Offended is the most neutral and general term for feeling that someone has been rude or disrespectful. Insulted is stronger — it suggests the action was meant to attack your dignity or self-worth. Hurt focuses on the emotional pain rather than the social slight; you can feel hurt by a friend's neglect even if nothing rude was said. Upset is the broadest word and can cover anger, sadness, worry, or disappointment. Resentful goes a step further, describing a lingering bitterness or anger that stays with you after the event. For example: 'She was offended by his casual remark' (mild social slight), but 'She felt insulted when he mocked her accent' (deliberate attack), and 'Years later she was still resentful about the way he had treated her' (long-lasting anger).

offended ↗insultedhurt ↗upset ↗resentful

Common collocations

Nouns

  • feelings
  • guests
  • readers
  • colleagues

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take offence at
  • be quick to take offence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Offended comes from the Latin verb offendere, which originally meant 'to strike against' or 'to stumble'. Over time, the meaning shifted from a physical action (hitting something) to a mental one — being emotionally 'struck' by someone's rude behaviour. The word entered English through Old French offendre in the 1300s, keeping this sense of emotional hurt or displeasure.