different between offend vs abash

English

Etymology

From Middle French offendre, from Latin offend? (“strike, blunder, commit an offense”), from ob- (“against”) + *fend? (“strike”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f?nd/
• Hyphenation: of?fend
• Rhymes: -?nd

Verb

offend (third-person singular simple present offends, present participle offending, simple past and past participle offended)

1. (transitive) To hurt the feelings of; to displease; to make angry; to insult.
   • 1995 September, The Playboy Interview: Cindy Crawford, Playboy

     One day my girlfriend, her boyfriend and I were sunbathing topless because that's Barbados - you can wear nothing if you want. And the Pepsi guy walks up and with my agent to meet us for lunch. I wondered if I should put on my top because I have a business relationship with him. I didn't want him to get offended because the rest of the beach had seen me with my top off.

2. (intransitive) To feel or become offended; to take insult.

3. (transitive) To physically harm, pain.

4. (transitive) To annoy, cause discomfort or resent.

5. (intransitive) To sin, transgress divine law or moral rules.
6. (transitive) To transgress or violate a law or moral requirement.
7. (obsolete, transitive, archaic, biblical) To cause to stumble; to cause to sin or to fall.
   • 1896, Adolphus Frederick Schauffler, Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons, W. A. Wilde company, Page 161,

     "If any man offend not (stumbles not, is not tripped up) in word, the same is a perfect man."

   • New Testament, Matthew 5:29 (Sermon on the Mount),

     "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out."

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:offend.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:offend

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• offend in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• offend in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• end off

English

Alternative forms

• abasse

Etymology

First attested in 1303. From Middle English abaisen, abaishen, abashen (“to gape with surprise”) etc., from Anglo-Norman abaïss, from Middle French abair, abaisser (“to astonish, alter”), from Old French esbaïr, (French ébahir), from es- (“utterly”) + baïr (“to astonish”), from Medieval Latin *exbad?, from ex- (“out of”) + bado (“I gape, yawn”), an onomatopoeic word imitating a yawn, see also French badaud (“rubbernecker”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??bæ?/

• Rhymes: -æ?

Verb

abash (third-person singular simple present abashes, present participle abashing, simple past and past participle abashed)

1. (transitive) To make ashamed; to embarrass; to destroy the self-possession of, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to disconcert; to discomfit. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350).]

   Synonyms: bewilder, confuse, confound, daunt, discompose, disconcert, discountenance, dishearten, embarrass, faze, fluster, humble, humiliate, mortify, rattle, shake, shame, snub

   Antonyms: abet, animate, buoy, cheer, countenance, embolden, encourage, incite, inspirit, rally, reassure, uphold

   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 14

     He was a man whom no check could abash
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To lose self-possession; to become ashamed. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 16^th century.]

Usage notes

• Of abash, confuse, confound: Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound.
  • We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors.
  • We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers.
  • We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt.

  • Satan stood Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. – John Milton

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:abash

Derived terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Basha, Sabah, basha, sabha