When someone says something offensive, responding thoughtfully can help you stay calm and communicate effectively.
Here are 50 responses you can use, depending on whether you want to address the offense directly, diffuse the situation, or simply walk away gracefully.
50 Examples of What to Say When Someone Offends You
- “I’m not sure if you realize, but that comment was hurtful.”
- “I don’t think that’s an appropriate thing to say.”
- “I’m not comfortable with what you just said.”
- “That was offensive to me; please be more considerate.”
- “I think we should keep the conversation respectful.”
- “I don’t appreciate that kind of humor.”
- “Please think before you speak—your words have an impact.”
- “Let’s change the subject; this isn’t appropriate.”
- “I hope you didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
- “That comment was uncalled for.”
- “Could you clarify what you meant? It came across as offensive.”
- “I value kindness and respect in conversations.”
- “That wasn’t funny to me.”
- “Please don’t talk to me like that.”
- “Let’s keep the discussion respectful.”
- “Your words were hurtful, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say that again.”
- “I’m disappointed to hear you say that.”
- “That felt like a personal attack.”
- “I think we need to communicate with more respect.”
- “I don’t find comments like that constructive.”
- “Could you explain what you meant by that?”
- “I’m not okay with that comment.”
- “I prefer to keep things positive and respectful.”
- “That’s not something I feel comfortable discussing.”
- “I’m surprised to hear you say that.”
- “I’d appreciate it if you considered how your words might affect others.”
- “I think we have different values, and that’s okay.”
- “I believe we can communicate better than that.”
- “Could you rephrase that in a more respectful way?”
- “I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say.”
- “Let’s try to stay on a more positive topic.”
- “I’m sure you didn’t mean to, but that came off as offensive.”
- “I don’t think we need to go there.”
- “That’s a hurtful comment.”
- “I’d appreciate it if we could talk respectfully.”
- “Please respect my perspective on this.”
- “I think we need to keep the conversation respectful.”
- “I don’t feel that’s appropriate.”
- “Let’s stay respectful in our discussion.”
- “That feels like crossing a line.”
- “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say things like that.”
- “It’s important to me that we speak kindly.”
- “Could you be more mindful of your words?”
- “I’d like to keep the conversation constructive.”
- “Please think about how that might sound to others.”
- “I think we should avoid offensive language.”
- “I’d prefer if we keep the conversation positive.”
- “I hope we can communicate with respect.”
- “That didn’t sit well with me.”
- “Let’s keep our words kind and respectful.”
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These responses offer a range of ways to handle offensive comments, from calmly addressing the offense to gracefully changing the subject.
Choose what feels most comfortable based on the situation and your relationship with the person.
I’m a MA, (CMT) Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and Reiki Master — I’m a licensed massage therapist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.