offense

or offence noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin offensa, from feminine of offensus, past participle of offendere Date: 14th century 1. a. obsolete an act of stumbling b. archaic a cause or occasion of sin ; stumbling block 2. something that outrages the moral or physical senses 3. a. the act of attacking ; assault b. the means or method of attacking or of attempting to score c. the offensive team or members of a team playing offensive positions d. scoring ability 4. a. the act of displeasing or affronting b. the state of being insulted or morally outraged <

takes offense at the slightest criticism

> 5. a. a breach of a moral or social code ; sin, misdeed b. an infraction of law; especially misdemeanor • offenseless adjective Synonyms: offense, resentment, umbrage, pique, dudgeon, huff mean an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity. offense implies hurt displeasure <

takes deep offense at racial slurs

>. resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will <

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

>. umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives <

took umbrage at the offer of advice

>. pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity <

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

>. dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation <

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

>. huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause <

in a huff he slammed the door

>. Synonyms: offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law. offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code <

at that school no offense went unpunished

>. sin implies an offense against moral or religious law <

the sin of blasphemy

>. vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts <

regarded gambling as a vice

>. crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state <

the crime of murder

>. scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience <

a career ruined by a sex scandal

>.