insult

American  

[in-suhlt, in-suhlt] / ɪnˈsʌlt, ˈɪn sʌlt /

verb (used with object)

• insults,
  present (3rd person singular)
• insulted,
  past participle,  past
• insulting
  present participle

1. to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.

   Synonyms:

   abuse, injure, scorn, offend

   Antonyms:

   compliment

2. to affect as an affront; offend or demean.

3. Archaic. to attack; assault.

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verb (used without object)

• insults,
  present (3rd person singular)
• insulted,
  past participle,  past
• insulting
  present participle

1. Archaic. to behave with insolent triumph; exult contemptuously (usually followed by on, upon, orover ).

noun

• insults
  plural

1. an insolent or contemptuously rude action or remark; affront.

   Synonyms:

   outrage, offense

   Antonyms:

   compliment

2. something having the effect of an affront.

   That book is an insult to one's intelligence.

3. Medicine/Medical.

   1. an injury or trauma.

   2. an agent that inflicts this.

4. Archaic. an attack or assault.

insult British  

verb

1. to treat, mention, or speak to rudely; offend; affront

2. obsolete to assault; attack

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noun

1. an offensive or contemptuous remark or action; affront; slight

2. a person or thing producing the effect of an affront

   some television is an insult to intelligence

3. med an injury or trauma

4. to make an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse

insult Idioms  

1. see add insult to injury.

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Usage

What is an insult? An insult is a rude action or remark meant to harm someone’s reputation or hurt their feelings. Insults come in many forms, often attacking the mental or physical characteristics of someone or something. To insult someone is to offend or demean them, as by making harmful remarks. An insult is also something that has the effect of a harmful remark. For example, you could say that your father telling you how to do something that you know how to do is an insult to your intelligence, even though your father was trying to be helpful rather than insulting. You can feel insulted without someone intentionally being rude because feelings are unplanned reactions, meaning some people find it best to think about whether the insult was intended or not. Insults are sometimes exchanged lightheartedly among friends just for fun. Example: How dare she insult me like that on such an important day!

Synonym Usage

Insult, indignity, affront, slight imply an act that injures another's honor, self-respect, etc. Insult implies such insolence of speech or manner as deeply humiliates or wounds one's feelings and arouses to anger. Indignity is especially used of inconsiderate, contemptuous treatment toward one entitled to respect. Affront implies open disrespect or offense shown, as it were, to the face. Slight may imply inadvertent indifference or disregard, which may also indicate ill-concealed contempt.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• insulter
  noun
• preinsult
  verb (used with object)
• insultable
  adjective
• quasi-insulted
  adjective
• uninsultable
  adjective
• uninsulted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• insults
  plural

Participles

• insulting
  present
• insulted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• insult
  simple
• insults
  simple
• have insulted
  perfect
• has insulted
  perfect
• am insulting
  progressive
• are insulting
  progressive
• is insulting
  progressive
• have been insulting
  perfect progressive
• has been insulting
  perfect progressive

Past

• insulted
  simple
• had insulted
  perfect
• was insulting
  progressive
• were insulting
  progressive
• had been insulting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will insult
  simple
• will have insulted
  perfect
• will be insulting
  progressive
• will have been insulting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of insult

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin insultāre “to jump on, insult,” equivalent to in- in- ² + -sultāre, combining form of saltāre “to jump”; see saltant

Explanation

If you insult someone, you have offended that person — either intentionally or unintentionally — through your actions or words. You might insult your host if you refuse to try the dessert he made from pasta, nuts, and chocolate sauce. As a noun, an insult means rude words or actions. If you tell the umpire he needs glasses, then you've made a verbal insult. If, after the umpire calls your team out, you make an obscene gesture in his general direction, you've made another kind of insult. Either insult can potentially get you thrown out of the game.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insult insults insulted insulting

Frankie invents a new nonsensical insult, calling Molly’s boyfriend Josh “such a customer.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

It’s a stinging insult: By the samurai code, Kanbei should be killed, not imprisoned — Murashige couldn’t have landed a more devastating slap than by letting him live.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

He looks vulnerable as India’s unemployed youths transform an insult into a political rallying cry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

She said: "It makes me feel sick. Andrew's life doesn't get to come back. It feels like a slap in the face and an insult."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Brand flies were sniped out of midair, each hit punctuated with an insult.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Like Owens, Davis endured humiliations off the field: threats, insults, segregated hotels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Brazil's government on Sunday also summoned Argentina's ambassador to discuss those "insults," the source told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Their relationship has over the past few months gone from public attacks to personal insults and back again, cooling what used to be one of the most watched alliances in European politics.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

And it was some of these very same fans that used to stand outside Paul’s house in London and yell insults as Linda emerged to do the shopping.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

All the insults and anger, the confusion and fighting, seemed to converge in a single flash of white-hot feeling.

From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies

Police say the brothers insulted a woman during an altercation over loud noise.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

It was claimed that Amen insulted the accused, who replied: "It's Ramadan we don't need to do this."

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Musk has offered to fund a private prosecution against the police over its handling of the murder, and insulted the Hampshire Police force.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Woodson was probably more insulted by being called an intellectual, but the episode speaks volumes about why he parted ways with traditional civil-rights leaders in the 1970s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

Now Father’s keeping his dealings with Dussel to a minimum because Dussel insulted him.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Australia's opposition leader has called for Albanese to apologise over the "insulting" comments.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Varela said it was insulting that the union would question the authenticity of his video.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

In a statement as chilling as it is insulting, Davis suggests that the protesters triggered a “Mother Hen” instinct that led the justice to rule against the administration on the birthright citizenship case.

From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026

But Ham’s gambit is insulting on another level, because this is also a common sense issue.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Spassky was angered when he learned that he was not being considered for the match with Fischer, and he used insulting language when referring to Titomirov.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• abuse
• affront
• blasphemy
• contempt
• disgrace
• disrespect
• indignity
• invective
• libel
• outrage
• put-down
• scorn
• shame
• slander
• slap
• slight
• snub
• taunt