Definitions and Examples of offending, guilty, harmful
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
Causing displeasure or resentment; violating social norms or rules.
Example
His rude behavior was offending to everyone in the room.
Responsible for committing a crime or offense; feeling remorse or shame for wrongdoing.
Example
He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to prison.
Causing or capable of causing harm or injury; damaging or dangerous.
Example
Smoking is harmful to your health and can lead to serious illnesses.
Key Differences: offending vs guilty vs harmful
- 1Offending implies a violation of social norms or rules, while guilty implies responsibility for committing a crime or offense.
- 2Guilty is a complementary antonym, meaning it is the opposite of a specific condition or state, while offending and harmful are gradable antonyms, meaning they describe a range of severity.
- 3Harmful describes something that is capable of causing harm or injury, while offending and guilty describe actions or behaviors that cause harm or wrongdoing.
Effective Usage of offending, guilty, harmful
- 1Legal Proceedings: Use guilty to describe someone who has been convicted of a crime.
- 2Social Norms: Use offending to describe behavior that violates social norms or rules.
- 3Health and Safety: Use harmful to describe substances or activities that can cause harm or injury.
Remember this!
The antonyms have distinct nuances: Offending implies a violation of social norms or rules, guilty implies responsibility for committing a crime or offense, and harmful describes something that is capable of causing harm or injury. Use these words in legal proceedings, to describe social norms, and to discuss health and safety.
