Of*fend (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Offended; p. pr. & vb. n.
Offending.] [OF. offendre, L. offendere,
offensum; ob (see Ob-) + fendere (in
comp.) to thrust, dash. See Defend.] 1.
To strike against; to attack; to assail. [Obs.] Sir P.
Sidney.
2. To displease; to make angry; to
affront.
A brother offended is harder to be won than a
strong city.
Prov. xviii. 19.
3. To be offensive to; to harm; to pain; to
annoy; as, strong light offends the eye; to offend the
conscience.
4. To transgress; to violate; to sin
against. [Obs.]
Marry, sir, he hath offended the
law.
Shak.
5. (Script.) To oppose or obstruct in
duty; to cause to stumble; to cause to sin or to fall.
[Obs.]
Who hath you misboden or offended.
Chaucer.
If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out . .
. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off.
Matt. v. 29, 3O.
Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing
shall offend them.
Ps. cxix. 165.
Of*fend", v. i. 1.
To transgress the moral or divine law; to commit a crime; to
stumble; to sin.
Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
James ii. 10.
If it be a sin to cevet honor,
I am the most offending soul alive.
Shak.
2. To cause dislike, anger, or vexation; to
displease.
I shall offend, either to detain or give
it.
Shak.
To offend against, to do an injury or wrong
to; to commit an offense against. "We have offended
against the Lord already." 2 Chron. xxviii. 13.
