insolence
Americannoun
-
contemptuously rude or impertinent behavior or speech.
-
the quality or condition of being insolent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insolence
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word insolentia. See insolent, -ence
Explanation
Insolence is a rude, disrespectful act. The teenager's insolence got her in trouble with her teachers. Insolence is an act of or the trait of being a jerk, especially to someone you should respect. Insolence is what rude and stuck-up people show off every chance they get. They ignore their parents, walk out on dinner bills, elbow old people out of the way, and tell professors their clothes look cheap. Insolence is a trait to get rid of, not flaunt. Teenagers often embrace insolence when they get to the age when they think their parents are stupid. (It usually wears off.)
Vocabulary lists containing insolence
Chains
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Heart of Darkness
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Nothing But the Truth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moscow accused Pashinyan of behaviour bordering on insolence, and on Friday summoned Armenia's ambassador to protest against "hostile steps".
From Reuters ● Sep. 12, 2023
In a league that has absorbed the competitive nastiness of Bill Laimbeer and Ron Artest and John Stockton and Charles Oakley, Green may be the first player sent home for repeated insolence.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023
“But I get the impression that there are limits. It shouldn’t go too far. By too far, I mean, there shouldn’t be insolence or irreverence.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2022
Inevitably, you find yourself shoveling in oiled-and-vinegared lettuce with the same insolence you felt as a child shoveling down steamed broccoli so you could move on to dessert.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2021
He also warned her against love and marriage, with the same insolence with which he insisted that Jaime should find a decent girl and settle down because he was turning into a hopeless bachelor.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
