insult 1 of 2

insult

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word insult distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of insult are affront, offend, and outrage. While all these words mean "to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment," insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When might affront be a better fit than insult?

The synonyms affront and insult are sometimes interchangeable, but affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When would offend be a good substitute for insult?

The words offend and insult are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Where would outrage be a reasonable alternative to insult?

The words outrage and insult can be used in similar contexts, but outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insult
Noun
Adding injury to insult, senior quarterback Drew Allar (13 of 20 for 137 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) suffered a season-ending leg injury on a third-down scramble on the Nittany Lions’ last drive. Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 Walking away from a fight or turning the other cheek at someone hurling insults your way would be an insult to our own ego and pride. Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Between 2014 and 2020, Erdogan investigated 160,000 Turks for insulting the president and prosecuted 45,000 of them, including a 14-year-old boy. Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing. Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for insult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insult
Verb
  • How shocked and appalled and offended everyone seems to be by this.
    Nick Suss, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Such restrictions on the sale of chips offended China, Luria said, and ultimately led to Beijing limiting the purchase of chips to their companies.
    Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While the track leans toward sarcasm, the soon-to-be-anthem perfectly captures a generational sentiment.
    Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The sarcasm has passed down generations.
    Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Longtime prejudices have meant that Latin artists have been regarded with suspicion, doubt, and even outrage throughout music history, but these attitudes have twisted into something far more intense and sinister as a result of the current administration.
    Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
  • County Board supervisors outraged by the transparency failure Since the emails came to light, supervisors on the county's finance committee have grilled transit agency executives and expressed outrage about the transparency failures.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Expectations should be modest given the past year of United indignity, but at least Lammens brings a reset to the starting lineup.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The Long Walk is unsparing in its depiction of violence, as well as the other indignities the boys face along the way.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insult. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on insult

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