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
And Mount Rushmore is seen not just as a touristic curiosity but as a historic insult, given that it was carved into the Black Hills of South Dakota — an area that had ostensibly been guaranteed to the Sioux in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 President Trump frequently hurled insults at Bezos during his firm term in the White House, largely because of the Amazon founder’s ownership of the Washington Post. Annie Palmer, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
On a trip into town, Lucas gets into a scuffle with another boy who’s insulting their late mother, hurting him. Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 9 May 2025 Later, the man Husk is chasing, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), follows him to a hunting ground and insults Husk’s chain-smoking, suggesting his smell keeps the elk away. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for insult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insult
Verb
  • Kaplan, the keeper of the NFLPA arbitration process, was clearly offended by France’s conduct.
    Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • The offending employees were moved to different cottages.
    Jeff Mcdonald, Mercury News, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • There’s tenderness and frustration, playfulness and sarcasm; respect and fatigue.
    Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
  • TikTok viewers chimed in with a mix of sarcasm, solidarity, and surprisingly creative suggestions.
    Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Race aside, police brutality by anyone against anyone should outrage everyone.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025
  • The concert outraged many Mexicans, and Michoacan Gov. Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla soon announced a ban on public performances that glorify crime and violence.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • The author begins by narrating Abed’s life story in order to illustrate how the daily indignities of Israeli occupation have accrued over decades, affecting the family’s choices about where to live, work, and send their children to school.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
  • And county taxpayers now will feel the direct fallout of the county’s misadventures with Tyler along with the indignity of paying for them.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Insult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insult. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on insult

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