No offense was meant.
Source: tatoeba (28587)
Offense
/əˈfɛns/
Synonyms for "offense" (237 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (48)
Noun(19 words)
affrontaggravated assaultaggressionamphibious attackangry lookarmed assaultaspersionassailingassailmentassaultatrocityattackbad faithbanzai attackblitzblitzkriegbreachbreach of contractbreach of faithbreach of privilege
Show 9 more words
Strong matches (71)
Noun(21 words)
contraventionscrimecriminal actdisdiscourtesydisgruntlingdishonordisorderly conductdisrespectdissendangeringfacetiousnessfoulfoulsfront linehuman conducthurtillegal actillegality of the actindecency
Show 1 more word
contumelycounterattackcounteroffensivecoup de maincrimecrime against humanitycrippling attackcutdead set atdeadly sindelictdelinquencyderelictiondescent ondespitedirty lookdiversiondiversionary attackdrivedudgeon
Adjective(2 words)
criminal statute violationillegal activity
Related words (118)
infiltrationinfractioninfringementiniquityinjuryinjusticeinsultinvasionjeerjeeringlapselightning attacklightning warmalefactionmalfeasancemalummass attackmegadeathmiffminor wrong
Show 60 more words
misdeedmisdemeanormisfeasancemockmockerymortal sinmuggingnonfeasanceoffensiveomissiononsetonslaughtoutrageoverkillpanzer warfarepeccadillopeccancypiqueprovocationpushput downput-downraw nervered ragresentmentrun againstrun atrushsacrilegesallyscoffscowlscurrilityshock tacticssinsin of commissionsin of omissionsinful actslap in the faceslipsnuffsore pointsore spotsortiestriketaunttender spottorttransgressiontrespasstripumbrageuncomplimentary remarkunprovoked assaultunutterable sinvenial sinviolationwrathwrongwrongdoing
Noun(33 words)
infractionsinsultationkidnappingloiteringmisdeedsmisdemeanorsmisdoingmisdoingsmurdersobstruction of justiceoffenceoffense unitoffensiveoffensive activityonslaughtoutragespejorativeput-downrapesriposte
Show 13 more words
sinsslamslightingslursorenesstransgress lawlesslytransgressiontransgressionstrespass with forceumbragevandalizingwrongdoingwrongs
Verb(4 words)
Adjective(1 words)
violent act
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: affront, insult, slight, act lawlessly, adulteries.
- Sentence evidence is available for offense, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "offense".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "offense"
Keep "offense" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "offense" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "offense", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "offense" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
22 entriesShowing 16 of 22 words.
More specific
12 entriesassaultblitzburglaryembarrassmentfraudhumiliationindignityoffense lineoffense unitresentmentsiegetheft
Collocations
6 entriescommit an offensecriminal offensegive offenseoffense against the lawon offensetake offense
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
47 translations across 25 languages.
Armenian
3 entries- հանցանք noun (act of offending against the law)
- վիրավորանք noun (act of offending against manners)
- օրինազանցություն noun (act of offending against the law)
Bulgarian
2 entries- нарушение noun (act of offending against the law)
- престъпление noun (act of offending against the law)
Catalan
2 entries- insult noun (act of offending against manners)
- ofensa noun (act of offending against manners)
Danish
1 entries- lovovertrædelse noun (act of offending against the law)
Esperanto
1 entries- ofendo noun (act of offending against manners)
Finnish
4 entries- lainrikkomus noun (act of offending against the law)
- loukkaus noun (act of offending against manners)
- rike noun (act of offending against the law)
- rikos noun (act of offending against the law)
German
1 entries- Vergehen noun (act of offending against the law)
Greek
2 entries- αδίκημα noun (act of offending against the law)
- προσβολή noun (act of offending against manners)
Hebrew
1 entries- עֲבֵרָה noun (act of offending against the law)
Hindi
1 entries- वार noun (act of offending against the law)
Hungarian
3 entries- sérelem noun (act of offending against the law)
- sértés noun (act of offending against the law)
- sértés noun (act of offending against manners)
Irish
1 entries- aithisiú noun (act of offending against manners)
Latin
2 entries- offensa noun (act of offending against the law)
- offensa noun (act of offending against manners)
Macedonian
1 entries- пре́кршок noun (act of offending against the law)
Malay
1 entries- kesalahan noun (act of offending against the law)
Māori
1 entries- hēanga noun (act of offending against the law)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- lovovertredelse noun (act of offending against the law)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- صوچ noun (act of offending against the law)
Portuguese
4 entries- delito noun (act of offending against the law)
- insulto noun (act of offending against manners)
- ofensa noun (act of offending against the law)
- ofensa noun (act of offending against manners)
Romanian
2 entries- ofensă noun (act of offending against the law)
- ofensă noun (act of offending against manners)
Russian
3 entries- правонаруше́ние noun (act of offending against the law)
- преступле́ние noun (act of offending against the law)
- просту́пок noun (act of offending against manners)
Sanskrit
2 entries- आगस् noun (act of offending against the law)
- एनस् noun (act of offending against the law)
Spanish
2 entries- insulto noun (act of offending against manners)
- ofensa noun (act of offending against manners)
Swedish
3 entries- kränkning noun (act of offending against manners)
- lagöverträdelse noun (act of offending against the law)
- överträdelse noun (act of offending against the law)
Ukrainian
1 entries- правопору́шення noun (act of offending against the law)
Sample sentences
13 total sentences available.
That is a criminal offense, and you will surely be punished!
Source: tatoeba (42184)
Such a deed is an offense against the law.
Source: tatoeba (51217)
The most effective defense is offense.
Source: tatoeba (243688)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "offense"?
Closest matches include affront, insult, slight, act lawlessly, adulteries.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "offense"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.