transgressing
Violating a boundary
Transgressing is crossing a boundary you're not supposed to cross—violating a rule, law, or moral limit.
The word carries a sense of willful violation rather than accidental breach: He was transgressing against everything his parents had taught him.
It applies to social norms, religious commandments, or legal prohibitions alike.
Violate another's rights
- breachBreaking of agreement
- trespassUnauthorized entry onto property
- contraveneAct against a rule
- disobeyRefuse to comply
flout · overstep · defy · disregard · encroach · intrude · break · exceed
Unauthorized entry onto property
- offenseViolation or umbrage
- wrongdoingUnethical or illegal action
- misdeedImmoral or illegal act
- iniquityMoral wrongdoing, grave injustice
wickedness · immorality · vice · guilt · evil · corruption · irreverence · blasphemy
Not allowed
- prohibitedOfficially not permitted
- off-limitsProhibited from access
- verbotenProhibited by authority
- sacrosanctRegarded as too important to alter
untouchable · inviolable · unmentionable · proscribed · stigmatized · shunned · profane · impious
Openly resisting control
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
renegade · insubordinate · subversive · disobedient · resister · mutinous · rebellious · insurgent
infringe
Violate another's rights
- breachBreaking of agreement
- trespassUnauthorized entry onto property
- contraveneAct against a rule
disobey · flout · overstep · defy · disregard · encroach · intrude · break · exceed · impinge
trespass
Unauthorized entry onto property
- offenseViolation or umbrage
- wrongdoingUnethical or illegal action
- misdeedImmoral or illegal act
iniquity · wickedness · immorality · vice · guilt · evil · corruption · irreverence · blasphemy · profanity
forbidden
Not allowed
- prohibitedOfficially not permitted
- off-limitsProhibited from access
- verbotenProhibited by authority
sacrosanct · untouchable · inviolable · unmentionable · proscribed · stigmatized · shunned · profane · impious · sacrilegious
defiant
Openly resisting control
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
maverick · renegade · insubordinate · subversive · disobedient · resister · mutinous · rebellious · insurgent · revolutionary
limit
Maximum allowed extent
barrier · edge · frontier · demarcation · perimeter · confines · verge · brink · margin · boundary
- at faultguilty, at fault, to blame, culpable, blameworthy
transgressingobeying
Following directives given
complying · following · adhering · conforming · observing
transgressingbehaving
Acting in acceptable ways
sanctifying · atoning · abstaining · refraining · redeeming
transgressingconforming
Meeting accepted standards
fitting in · falling in line · toeing the line · assimilating · going along
- minor transgressionSmall wrongdoing, easily forgiven
- moral transgressionViolation of ethical standards