as in offensive
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as in offending
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insulting
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Survivors rejected the offer, calling it insulting.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
Also, this is just a really horrible, insulting offer on Elizabeth’s part.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Adjective
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
Survivors rejected the offer, calling it insulting.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Late at night, the staff are known for insulting anyone brave enough to step up to the counter.
—Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
Also, this is just a really horrible, insulting offer on Elizabeth’s part.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insulting
Adjective
-
Brunson, seemingly, has mastered basketball on the offensive end.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
The Fire did not have an offensive rebound until deep in the third quarter and finished with only three, a testament to the Sky’s ability to control rebounds and eliminate second-chance opportunities.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Baselitz was charged with offending public morality; the case dragged on for two years before being dismissed, but his reputation was cemented.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
-
The image of an officer peering into the empty driver’s seat of the offending vehicle may have been good for a chuckle, but other incidents have been no laughing matter.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
At those prices, the Cheer-Like-A-Native flight ticket of $836 to Montevideo seems outrageous.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
The finish is completely outrageous.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.—
Justin Fishel,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In this best-selling memoir, Foo investigates the repercussions of complex PTSD (C-PTSD) caused by her abusive parents and her subsequent estrangement from each of them in turn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Someone that was that abusive to children in plain sight doesn’t deserve to be celebrated as a human being.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first episode did capture fans taunting Williams on the road for his past, as well as a clip of him in front of a courthouse three years ago.—
Joe Davidson
May 7,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
-
For a brief moment, there was a new 48-hour countdown taunting us on Taylor Swift’s website.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
David smells an opportunity but completely misreads Hale, a vicious and vituperative man who delights in tormenting lesser writers.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When a referee is missing calls and clearly disrespecting the players, almost mocking them, they must be held accountable.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insulting. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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