offense
gb/əfˈɛns/ us/əfˈɛns/
B1
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
event
1
breaking a law or rule
An action that goes against a law or rule.
Usage pattern:
to commit an offense
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'offense' with 'offence' — both spellings are correct; 'offense' is US English, 'offence' is UK English.
Synonyms
violation (More formal; often used in legal or official contexts.)
Antonyms
compliance (Following a law or rule instead of breaking it.)
Collocations
commit an offense
|serious offense
|minor offense
|criminal offense
|first offense
Themes
law
|crime
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Speeding is a common traffic offense.
- The company was fined for an environmental offense.
- Shoplifting is considered a serious offense in this country.
- He was arrested for committing an offense against public order.
Learner examples
- Stealing is an offense.
- It is an offense to drive too fast.
- He went to jail for an offense.
- Littering is an offense in this city.
Noun
B2
state
2
feeling hurt or insulted
A feeling of anger or hurt because someone said or did something rude.
Usage pattern:
to take offense at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'take offense' with 'be offended'; both are correct, but 'take offense' is more idiomatic in many contexts.
Synonyms
resentment (A stronger, longer-lasting feeling of anger or bitterness.)
Antonyms
acceptance (Not feeling upset when faced with a potentially offensive remark.)
Collocations
take offense
|cause offense
|give offense
|easily offended
Themes
emotions
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She took offense at his comment about her accent.
- I hope you won’t take offense if I speak frankly.
- His joke was meant to be funny, not to cause offense.
- They apologized to avoid giving offense to the guests.
Learner examples
- I did not mean to give offense.
- He took offense at my words.
- Please do not take offense.
- She felt offense when they laughed.
Noun
B1
entity
3
team's attacking side in sports
The players in a game who try to score points against the other team.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'offense' in sports with 'offense' meaning a crime; context clarifies the meaning.
Synonyms
attack (Often used in sports to refer to the action of trying to score.)
Antonyms
defense (The part of the team that tries to stop the other team from scoring.)
Collocations
play offense
|strong offense
|offense and defense
Themes
sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Our team's offense scored three touchdowns in the first half.
- They need to improve their offense if they want to win the championship.
- The coach focused on building a stronger offense this season.
Learner examples
- Our offense scored two goals.
- The team has a good offense.
- He plays on the offense.
- Offense is important in football.
Grammar
Dictionary form
offense
IPA
GB/əfˈɛns/
US/əfˈɛns/
Syllables & stress
of - fense (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fense)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: offense
- Variant Spelling: offence
- Plural: offense, offenses
Word family
Forms
offence
noun B1
offenses
noun
Related words
offensively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
inoffensive
adjective
Advanced or less common
offensiveness
noun
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: offence Noun
Expressions
cause offense
1/kˈɔz əfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
upset someone by rudeness
To make someone feel upset because you said or did something rude or unkind.
Examples
- He didn’t mean to cause offense with his comments.
- The article caused offense among many readers.
no offense
1/nˈoʊ əfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
informal
not meant as an insult
A phrase used before or after saying something that might upset someone, to show you do not mean to be rude.
Examples
- No offense, but I think you’re wrong about that.
- No offense — your cooking has improved a lot since last time.
take offense
1/tˈeɪk əfˈɛns/
fixed phrase
become upset by rudeness
To feel angry or hurt because of something rude or unkind someone says or does.
Examples
- She took offense at his casual remark about her job.
- Don’t take offense — I was only joking.