To hurt someone's feelings or make them angry by doing or saying something insulting or disrespectful.
From Latin 'offendere' (to strike against, harm), combining 'ob-' (against) + 'fendere' (to strike). Entered English in the 1300s with the sense of 'to violate' or 'to displease.'
The word 'offends' is culturally fascinating because what counts as offensive changes rapidly—things considered perfectly polite in 1950 are insulting now, and vice versa, showing how language reflects shifting social values and power dynamics.
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