insulting

1 of 2

adjective

in·​sult·​ing in-ˈsəl-tiŋ 

: 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 insulting …

—The 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

in-ˈsəl-tiŋ-lē 

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

Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Some job seekers say AI interviews can feel impersonal, stilted, and downright insulting. — Sarah Jackson juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Even more insulting was the cold, transactional nature of the intrusion. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for insulting

• consulting
• exulting
• resulting