give offense to

To cause tension or displeasure. I tried to choose my words carefully, but, due to the controversial subject matter, I feared that I would give offense to the committee no matter what I said.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Bonifaz	BO-nee-fahts	German
Modesta	mo-DHE-stah (Spanish)	Spanish, Late Roman
Selma	SEL-mə (English), ZEL-mah (German)	English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic
Timotheus	-	Biblical Latin, German, Dutch
Ariel	AR-ee-əl (English), ER-ee-əl (English), AY-ree-əl (English)	Hebrew, English, French, Biblical, Biblical Greek
Keir	-	Scottish, English (Rare)