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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But even though abusive relationships tend to form tragic patterns, honesty isn’t all that’s necessary for a good narrative, and this one proves repetitive.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026 -
Dane on the show stars as Nate’s (Jacob Elordi) abusive father, who in the first season met Hunter Schafer’s Jules — a transgender teenage girl and classmate of Nate’s — on a hookup app.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For filmmakers who view their individual work as the center of gravity, this can sit somewhere between confusing and insulting.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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Survivors rejected the offer, calling it insulting.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Doing the opposite of that, showing up to work and ignoring Erika's request, would be disrespectful, outrageous, and the opposite of what the Christian faith Kirk and Shaw shared would lead him to do.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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Internal drama — employee hook-ups, power plays, longstanding grudges — share space with the mix of the mundane and the outrageous that constitutes a typical day in a typical big-city emergency department.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The incident was captured on the broadcast, and after the game, Duran explained that his obscene gesture was in response to a fan crossing the line.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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The most common crime investigated by the unit was the distribution of obscene material depicting minors, followed by elder abuse and rape.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 2026.
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