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insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home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
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
And though Chalamet did not make such insults himself, his comments fit into this broader context of disparagement and dismissal.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
Cops said Michael Santiago, 31, and Michael James, 33, confronted the Black woman and unleashed a slew of racist insults that were caught on camera and posted online.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
The Takoma Park, Maryland, mayor’s order that people not clap during a public meeting led to insults and even a poll.
—Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The procession passed the headquarters of various Free Syrian Army factions, at whom the protesters hurled bitter insults for failing to protect the city.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The stakes are especially high when tics involve slurs or insults.
—Rena Zito, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Trump has lobbed racist insults at the Obamas before, including spending years promoting the false conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was born outside the United States.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Feb. 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
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
And though Chalamet did not make such insults himself, his comments fit into this broader context of disparagement and dismissal.
—Chloe Angyal, Time, 9 Mar. 2026
Cops said Michael Santiago, 31, and Michael James, 33, confronted the Black woman and unleashed a slew of racist insults that were caught on camera and posted online.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
The Takoma Park, Maryland, mayor’s order that people not clap during a public meeting led to insults and even a poll.
—Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2026
The procession passed the headquarters of various Free Syrian Army factions, at whom the protesters hurled bitter insults for failing to protect the city.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
The stakes are especially high when tics involve slurs or insults.
—Rena Zito, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Trump has lobbed racist insults at the Obamas before, including spending years promoting the false conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was born outside the United States.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 Feb. 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
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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 18 Mar. 2026.
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