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insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home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
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Perkins said the drink bore the insulting message.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Sep. 2025
Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2025
In addition to insulting Paul Dano this week on a podcast, Quentin Tarantino also shared his distaste for beloved horror actor Matthew Lillard.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Adjective
To educate all of them in similar ways is insulting, and silly.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Perkins said the drink bore the insulting message.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
One emoji prompted a social media nightmare for a Greater Cincinnati doughnut shop – and forced them to publicly apologize for insulting the area's LGBTQ+ community.
—Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2025
In addition to insulting Paul Dano this week on a podcast, Quentin Tarantino also shared his distaste for beloved horror actor Matthew Lillard.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insulting
Adjective
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But unlike his son, Trent was an offensive lineman, per the Clarion Ledger.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith confirmed Thursday that the Tennessee Titans have reached out to interview him for their head coach opening.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When no one in the Fortune 500 wants to risk offending Trump, leave it to Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog to take care of business.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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While most scented soaps do a mediocre job of masking food smells with harsh, cheap fragrances, Naomi’s scrub neutralizes offending odors with bread-yeast enzymes, then leaves behind subtle, but incredibly luxurious notes of bergamot, black pepper, sandalwood, and ginger.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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We were inspired by their outrageous VHS cover art that promised epic tales of heroic barbarians rescuing buxom babes from giant monsters.—
Bear McCreary,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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On The Rookie, Jenna Dewan shared screentime with her real-life fiancé, Steve Kazee, who played her frightening, abusive husband, Jason Wyler.—
Tanya Melendez,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 2026
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The story follows a young woman, a lifelong swimmer and Olympic hopeful, who accepts a college swimming scholarship in Texas in order to escape an abusive father and an alcoholic, suicidal mother.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pittsburgh appeared to go three-and-out on its second drive, but Cleveland's Rayshawn Jenkins was called for taunting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
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While negligible to his overall earnings, the penalty fits the league’s recent crackdown on celebrations and taunting, as several players were fined earlier this season for similar actions.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Juxtaposed with these vituperative remarks are, naturally, shots of Trump seemingly falling asleep while on camera.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
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From his pulpit, Wicks rains down selectively vituperative fire and brimstone, with an eye toward provoking walkouts from unsuspecting visitors—say, a gay couple or a single mom.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Anything less than the Broncos doing the same would be disrespecting Reid, wouldn’t it?—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
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Meanwhile, films perceived as disrespecting Hindu traditions have faced severe consequences.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In the Hulu version of the story, Clarke plays Alex, a middle-aged lawyer stealing money from his clients and funneling it into an opioid addiction and, the series implies, other scurrilous crimes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insulting. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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