as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
a well-reasoned thesis that merited more than just a scornful, contumelious response
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contumelious
Adjective
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The federal agency was tasked with creating and enforcing rules to protect consumers from abusive practices across a range of financial institutions.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026 -
Back home, their physically abusive father stalks the shadowy hallways.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
One year, countless outrageous ensembles and quippy one-liners later, viewers still can’t get enough of her.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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The Lakers broke the NBA with that trade a year ago; a repeat event would be pretty outrageous, even for this franchise.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Not only are hospital CEOs paid obscene amounts of money and the hospitals are sitting on fat cash balances, but NewYork–Presbyterian is guilty of something even more grotesque.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some made obscene gestures, and one held up a paper cursing the president.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Honor is not, in Mr. Sommers’s view, without its opprobrious aspects, not least its association with violence.—
Joseph Epstein,
WSJ,
3 Aug. 2018
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Cite this Entry
“Contumelious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contumelious. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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