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Prepositions after verbs

Offend by, at, in, against, or with?

Offend is commonly followed by by when stating the cause of offence. Offend against is a formal pattern meaning to break a rule or principle.

Quick answer

Common prepositions with offend

Use offend by to show what caused offence: She was offended by the comment. Offend at appears mainly in passive forms such as offended at his behaviour. Offend against is formal and means to violate a law, rule, or principle. Offend with is uncommon as a direct verb pattern and usually introduces an instrument or feature in context.

She was deeply offended by the remark.
Many readers were offended at the article.
The policy offends against basic fairness.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
offended by + cause

Showing what caused offence

Use by after offended to name the action, remark, or behaviour that upset someone.

I was offended by his joke.
They felt offended by the accusation.
2
offended at + behaviour

Reacting negatively to something

Offended at is used mainly in formal or literary English to express a reaction to behaviour or comments.

She seemed offended at the question.
3
offend against + rule/principle

Violating a law or standard

Offend against is a formal expression meaning to break a rule, principle, or accepted standard.

The proposal offends against company policy.
Such actions offend against international law.
4
offend with + thing

Using with as an instrument or feature

With is not usually the selected preposition after offend, but it can introduce the means or feature involved in a wider sentence.

He managed to offend everyone with a single comment.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
offended by
She was offended by his language.
Standard pattern for the cause of offence.
offended at
He was offended at their behaviour.
More formal or literary way to express a reaction.
offend against
The advertisement offends against public decency.
Formal expression meaning violate a rule or principle.
offend with
She offended the audience with her remarks.
With introduces the means of offending, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.
offend in
He offended in several ways during the meeting.
In usually introduces manner or context, not a standard complement after offend.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using offend against for personal feelings

Offend against usually refers to rules or principles, not emotions.

✕ She offended against my comment. ✓ She was offended by my comment.

Treating with as the main verb pattern

With normally introduces the means, not the object of offence.

✕ I was offended with his joke. ✓ I was offended by his joke.

Using in as a direct complement

In usually describes context rather than the cause of offence.

✕ They were offended in the remark. ✓ They were offended by the remark.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was offended ___ the accusation.
2. The law should not offend ___ basic human rights.
3. He offended the crowd ___ a rude joke.

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Frequently asked questions

Is offended by more common than offended at?

Yes. Offended by is the standard modern pattern in everyday English.

What does offend against mean?

It means to violate or go against a law, rule, or accepted principle.

Can I say offended with?

Usually use offended by for personal reactions. With is mainly used to introduce the means, as in offend someone with a remark.

oblige-to-by-with-in, for obscure by, for, from, in or to? observe in, by, on, with or for? "obsess about" or "obsess over"? "obtain from" or "obtain by"? occupy by, with, in, for or at? occur in, to, at, on or during? "offer by" or "offer to"? offset by, from, with, for or against? "omit from" or "omit by"? "open in" or "open to"? operate in, by, on, at or from?

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