insult

1 of 2

verb

in·​sult in-ˈsəlt 

insulted; insulting; insults

transitive verb

: to treat with insolence, indignity, or contempt : affront

also : to affect offensively or damagingly

doggerel that insults the reader's intelligence

intransitive verb

archaic : to behave with pride or arrogance : vaunt

insulter noun

insult

2 of 2

noun

in·​sult ˈin-ˌsəlt 

1

: a gross indignity : an instance of insolent or contemptuous speech or conduct

2

: injury to the body or one of its parts

also : something that causes or has a potential for causing such injury

pollution and other environmental insults

Synonyms

Verb

• affront
• dis [slang]
• diss
• disrespect
• offend
• outrage
• slap
• slight
• wound

Noun

• affront
• barb
• brickbat
• cut
• dart
• dig
• dis [slang]
• diss
• epithet
• gird
• indignity
• name
• offense
• offence
• outrage
• personality
• poke
• put-down
• sarcasm
• slap
• slight
• slur

Choose the Right Synonym for insult

offend, outrage, affront, insult mean to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment.

offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting.

hoped that my remarks had not offended her

outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

Examples of insult in a Sentence

Verb

She felt they had insulted her by repeatedly ignoring her questions.

We were greatly insulted by his rudeness.

They're understandably insulted when no one asks for their opinion on a matter that affects them so much.

Noun

The fans hurled insults at the referee as he walked off the field after the game.

Their decision to cancel the project was an insult to all my hard work.

They got into a fight over a minor insult.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Many of the nearly 40 students who spoke to the board said they been insulted, harassed or threatened since the war began on Oct. 7 and now fear stepping on campus. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023

Sheen was fired from the Two and a Half Men after insulting creator Chuck Lorre in a series of rants. —Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023

There’s a code of honor in tequila; no one publicly insults anyone else’s brand. —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 11 Nov. 2023

The first censure ever recorded was of Rep. William Stanbery in 1832 for insulting then-House Speaker Andrew Stevenson during a floor debate. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2023

Don’t feel insulted, though, because most people suck at calling ducks. —Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 8 Nov. 2023

In a departure from the style of past UAW leaders, Fain has insulted CEOs and publicly revealed the companies’ pay offers. —Tom Krisher, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2023

My sister and her daughters and sons did not deserve to be killed in this way that insults human dignity. —Anna Gordon, TIME, 20 Oct. 2023

Although the ex-council president was by far the worst Spanglish offender, others employed it to insult as well. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023

Noun

And while the three have had combative exchanges on the debate stage, Friday's roundtable was polite and featured no crosstalk or insults. —Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2023

Various speakers also threatened legal consequences for the agency and its board members, and some pointed insults directly at Russell, who was sitting on the dais. —Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Nov. 2023

The Republican presidential campaign's gendered insults and underlying tone that femininity equals weakness are leading researchers and political strategists to note that the GOP is continuing Trump-era machismo and misogyny. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023

This was less Big Brother than baby brother: a juvenile insult meant to wind up the base. —Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023

Pretty was not a compliment but an insult in the Lee rule book. —Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 6 Nov. 2023

To imply that the Colombian government would take actions to harm Americans is a gross insult. —WSJ, 3 Nov. 2023

To continue to support mediocrity in the most profitable sector of a major Los Angeles institution would be an insult. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2023

This is not an insult to Kirk Cousins, but the arrival of Dobbs at the trade deadline gave O’Connell a quarterback who has maximum escapability and is rarely going to get sacked. —Steve Silverman, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle French or Latin; Middle French insulter, from Latin insultare, literally, to spring upon, from in- + saltare to leap — more at saltation

First Known Use

Verb

1540, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing insult

• insult someone's intelligence
• add insult to injury

• insult someone's intelligence
• add insult to injury

Kids Definition

insult

1 of 2 verb

in·​sult in-ˈsəlt 

: to treat or speak to with disrespect or scorn

insulter noun

insult

2 of 2 noun

in·​sult ˈin-ˌsəlt 

: an act or expression showing disrespect or scorn

Etymology

Verb

from early French insulter "to insult," from Latin insultare "to insult, attack," literally "to leap upon," derived from in- "on, upon" and salire "to leap, spring" — related to assault, resilient

Word Origin

The phrase "to jump on" is used informally today to mean "to criticize or insult severely." The origin of the word insult also suggests the idea of jumping. Insult comes from the Latin verb insultare, literally meaning "to leap upon." It is made up of the prefix in-, meaning "on, upon," and a form of the verb salire "to leap." One of the first meanings of insult in English was "to make a military attack." That sense became obsolete, and insult now means to attack or "jump on" someone only with words of scorn or disrespect rather than with weapons.

Medical Definition

insult

noun

in·​sult ˈin-ˌsəlt 

1

: injury to the body or one of its parts

repeated acute vascular insults

any insult to the constitution of a patient suffering from active tuberculosis

—Journal of the American Medical Association

2

: something that causes or has a potential for causing insult to the body

damage resulting from malnutritional insults

insult verb