1
as in disrespect
disrespectful or argumentative talk given in response to a command or request
amazed that parents would tolerate such insolence from their teenaged children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrespectfulness
rude behavior
her frequent displays of insolence have lowered her standing among movie fans
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insolence
And despite Aegon’s insolence, neither Criston nor Aemond could have predicted that the king would show up to the fight drunk on dragonback before Aemond can arrive.
—
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 July 2024
Only this time, instead of sneering insolence, Matt Smith’s Daemon was near tears as the king ripped into his brother.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 21 July 2024
Ever since Trump became a politician—and even before that—the most familiar images of him have been designed and disseminated by those who oppose him, to emphasize his insolence or his aura of threat.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 14 July 2024
In the worst-case scenario, the resistance escalated, paranoid readings of each party’s intentions dominated on both sides, and the classroom spiralled into suspicion, insolence, complaint, or outright rebellion.
—Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for insolence
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 7 July 2024
Only this time, instead of sneering insolence, Matt Smith’s Daemon was near tears as the king ripped into his brother.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 21 July 2024
Ever since Trump became a politician—and even before that—the most familiar images of him have been designed and disseminated by those who oppose him, to emphasize his insolence or his aura of threat.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 14 July 2024
In the worst-case scenario, the resistance escalated, paranoid readings of each party’s intentions dominated on both sides, and the classroom spiralled into suspicion, insolence, complaint, or outright rebellion.
—Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for insolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insolence
Noun
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April 21, 2025 Regardless of one’s position on the war in Ukraine, the president has shown a stunning disrespect for a world leader, an unprecedented bow to Russia’s leader, and a complete disregard for diplomacy.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2025
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The vice president accused Ukraine's leader of showing disrespect to the president and of insufficient gratitude to the U.S. for its help.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But it’s got impudence and élan, and a feeling for life on the margins of English society.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
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Such calls for regulatory actions against short sellers are all based on the assumption that short selling is nefarious — that daring to take a negative view of a company’s stock is tantamount to market manipulation, especially if the short sellers have the impudence to publicize their viewpoint.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2023
Noun
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But research shows that confrontation and rudeness are NOT actually what makes these styles of leadership work.—
London Business School,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
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Responding to rudeness with equal aggression often escalates the situation.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This wasn't the first time one reduced me to spewing curses, just the first time a robot has accused me of impertinence.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.—
Ben Tarnoff,
The New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Insolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insolence. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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