insulting

1 of 2

adjective

in·​sult·​ing in-ˈsəl-tiŋ How to pronounce insulting (audio)
: giving or intended to give offense : being or containing an insult (see insult entry 2 sense 1)
Without the wit, of course, such sentiments would be construed as deeply insultingThe American Scholar
… pasted insulting bumper stickers on their vehicles …James A. Michener
… considered the proposal so impracticable as to be insulting.Alice Adams
The book is "dumbed down" to an almost insulting level.Joel Bangilan
insultingly adverb
But always his triumphs are the triumphs of a highly sensitive man: a man must feel insults before he can so insultingly and splendidly avenge them. G. K. Chesterton
He is a gifted preacher, fashioning sermons that are neither inaccessibly erudite nor insultingly shallow. Kevin Sack

insulting

2 of 2

present participle of insult entry 1

Examples of insulting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Traditionally, it was even considered somewhat insulting, as if the host could not be counted on to provide a decent drink. Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Others that misleadingly use deep fake technology to show her insulting voters. Ken Bensinger, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Many applicants find their presence not only bizarre, but also a bit insulting. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2024 To some industry veterans, the criticism of airline DEI programs is ridiculous and insulting — not least because there hasn’t been a fatal U.S. airline crash since 2009. David Ingram, NBC News, 28 Jan. 2024 This is both insulting and threatening, to ruling men. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Jan. 2024 Poems about the trees in Massachusetts or those contemplating winter in Vermont felt insulting to me. José Olivarez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 While that may sound respectful, employees can consider such phrasing to be insulting, as workers have a legal right to organize. Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2024 Fact is, the very idea of repackaging Mean Girls is insulting. Armond White, National Review, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insulting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insulting was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near insulting

Cite this Entry

“Insulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insulting. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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