# offending

Pronunciation: say "uh-FEN-ding" /əˈfɛndɪŋ/

## Adjective

1. Describing the person or thing responsible for a problem and deserving of blame.
   - Simple: Being the person or thing that caused a problem and should be blamed.
   - _The mechanic removed the offending part and the engine ran smoothly again._
   - _Inspectors traced the smell to an offending pipe beneath the kitchen floor._

## Verb

2. Present participle of offend. — present participle and gerund of offend
   - Simple: Present participle of offend. Use this form for something happening right now.
   - _His constant interruptions were offending the other guests at the dinner._
   - _The comedian risked offending half the audience with that final remark._

## Noun

3. The act of committing a crime or breaking a rule.
   - Simple: The act of breaking the law or doing something wrong.
   - _The court considered his long pattern of offending before sentencing._
   - _Early intervention can prevent offending among at-risk teenagers._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/offending (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).