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insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insults
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Please don't waste my time filling up the mailbox with big shiny cards that scream doomsday insults about your opponents.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Their back-and-forth insults establish them as siblings who are hurt but clearly still love each.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Contrary to the opinions of those who hurl TACO insults at him, the president is aiming to patch up the holes the Supreme Court blew in his industry-wide and country-specific tariffs, which his administration implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA).
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Several leaned out of their windows to shout insults or raise middle fingers.
—Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Left-wing social media users launched a volley of insults at 23-year-old Brooke Slusser in recent days.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The British, by contrast, preferred their insults more oblique.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Using obscene or abusive language Any use of profanity, insults or abusive language is prohibited under the FDCPA.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Please don't waste my time filling up the mailbox with big shiny cards that scream doomsday insults about your opponents.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026
Their back-and-forth insults establish them as siblings who are hurt but clearly still love each.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Contrary to the opinions of those who hurl TACO insults at him, the president is aiming to patch up the holes the Supreme Court blew in his industry-wide and country-specific tariffs, which his administration implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA).
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
Several leaned out of their windows to shout insults or raise middle fingers.
—Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Left-wing social media users launched a volley of insults at 23-year-old Brooke Slusser in recent days.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 11 Mar. 2026
The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The British, by contrast, preferred their insults more oblique.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
-
Obviously the blandness of a tan wall offends them.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
If that language offends you — come on.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Rideout’s trial, for example, teemed with outrages.—
S. C. Cornell,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So much for Anthropic's Super Bowl taunts.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In a 30-second clip, Adams is seen leaving a jet bridge while a woman who is walking ahead of him seemingly taunts Adams.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mostly, Stanton’s sense of her own virtues made her bristle at all the great and petty indignities that characterized her place as a woman.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Our antiheroine deals with these indignities by developing an erotic obsession with the department’s new, also-married hire, Vladimir (Leo Woodall).—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Mar. 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
-
On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hepburn is at her theatrical best, trading barbs with estranged husband King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) and their sons over a chaotic Christmas gathering.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
There are campaign posters, a jingle blaring over loudspeakers, television cameras, lots of handshakes and selfies, and, of course, a stump speech full of pledges as well as barbs for the rival candidate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insults. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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