as in sarcasms
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
panelists on that political talk show simply exchange insults, not ideas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offends
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of insults
Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
The hail of insults pouring from the Cubs dugout grew louder and nastier.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
The Chicago native, who has worked at The Wiener's Circle for 28 years, dishes out char-dogs, Polish sausages, freshly cut fries with cheddar sauce, and insults.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Scheming, rumors, insults, secrets, love, lust and violence swirl within the family, a microcosm of the chaotic politics in India during the 1980s and ‘90s.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
The neighbor, who lived across the hall from Valentine, said the suspect routinely taunted her from inside her apartment, uttering her insults through the microphone of a doorbell camera.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Some of the insults refer to comments Talarico has made over the years.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 30 May 2026
In state offices, though men reported higher levels of threats and attacks, more women than men experienced harassment and insults.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Breen eventually filled in for Don Criqui on the Imus show, reading sports headlines between Imus’ insults.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Saariaho never once loses control of momentum and never insults her own tastefulness.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The paddling comes as revenge for multiple times Marty insults the businessman throughout the movie.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Basil, of course, is far from perfect, a rude, neurotic, accident-prone manager who insults guests, hides his gambling winnings from his wife and organizes an elaborate impersonation of her when his surprise anniversary party backfires.
—Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Aiyuk appears to direct two common insults at the subject of the video — almost certainly the 49ers — by using the literal, nonprofane meanings of the terms rather than saying the vulgar words themselves.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
The hail of insults pouring from the Cubs dugout grew louder and nastier.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
The Chicago native, who has worked at The Wiener's Circle for 28 years, dishes out char-dogs, Polish sausages, freshly cut fries with cheddar sauce, and insults.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Scheming, rumors, insults, secrets, love, lust and violence swirl within the family, a microcosm of the chaotic politics in India during the 1980s and ‘90s.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
The neighbor, who lived across the hall from Valentine, said the suspect routinely taunted her from inside her apartment, uttering her insults through the microphone of a doorbell camera.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 3 June 2026
Some of the insults refer to comments Talarico has made over the years.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 30 May 2026
In state offices, though men reported higher levels of threats and attacks, more women than men experienced harassment and insults.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
Breen eventually filled in for Don Criqui on the Imus show, reading sports headlines between Imus’ insults.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Verb
Ohm quickly insults nearly every employee at this small hotel within moments of meeting them, except for the young, pretty bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh).
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Saariaho never once loses control of momentum and never insults her own tastefulness.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The paddling comes as revenge for multiple times Marty insults the businessman throughout the movie.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Basil, of course, is far from perfect, a rude, neurotic, accident-prone manager who insults guests, hides his gambling winnings from his wife and organizes an elaborate impersonation of her when his surprise anniversary party backfires.
—Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insults
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But these arguments, about how free expression is defined, whether art that offends is inherently harmful, and whose sensibilities determine what art gets shown to the public, would recur again and again.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Very little offends me in a moral sense in the theater, but parts of this script came close.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
-
As has always been the case in my life, my main way of responding to political outrages is through writing and reading.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the final episode of the season, Max taunts Pip on her way to Stanley’s funeral as his companion, a young blonde, laughs and drinks wine.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
-
Newsom taunts Trump with multiple jabs as Florida redistricting fight ramps up.—
,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The video features Bloodwerk’s Ned Brower — formerly of Rooney, currently Nurse Jesse on The Pitt — suffering a litany of indignities at the hands of rowdy restaurant patrons.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
-
Freedom, for most people, meant a stable existence free of poverty and its indignities.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Imperfect fleshly reality occupies the stage, the region where bones crack and wounds suppurate, schlumpy humans fall for each other, and jealousy roams murderously free.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Chawla said multiple campaign road signs were vandalized with racial epithets in two separate incidents.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.—
Ron Kampeas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Its barbs are muddy brown with faint metallic highlights.—
Douglas Goodwin,
The Conversation,
1 June 2026
-
Pledges of a united front fade as the booze flows and the barbs get sharper and sharper.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insults. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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