contumely

American  

[kon-too-muh-lee, -tyoo-, kuhn-too-muh-lee, -tyoo-, kon-tuhm-lee, -tyoom, -chuhm] / ˈkɒn tʊ mə li, -tjʊ-, kənˈtu mə li, -ˈtju-, ˈkɒn təm li, -tjum, -tʃəm /

noun

• contumelies
  plural

1. insulting display of contempt in words or actions; contemptuous or humiliating treatment.

   Synonyms:

   rudeness, disdain, scorn, abuse

2. a humiliating insult.

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contumely British  

/ ˌkɒntjʊˈmiːlɪəs, ˈkɒntjʊmɪlɪ /

noun

1. scornful or insulting language or behaviour

2. a humiliating or scornful insult

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• contumeliousness
  noun
• contumelious
  adjective
• contumeliously
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contumelies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contumely

1350–1400; Middle English contumelie (< Anglo-French ) < Latin contumēlia, perhaps akin to contumāx ( see contumacy), though formation and sense development are unclear

Explanation

Contumely is an old-fashioned term that means "nasty, insulting speech," like the contumely heaped on the opposing team by a home team's fans. Don't be led astray by that -ly ending: contumely is a noun, not an adverb. Use contumely when you need an impressive (if obscure) way to say "contemptuous language" or "offensive behavior." You might stop a bully in his tracks by shouting, "I don't have to put up with this contumely!" Experts believe this word comes from the Latin contumax, "haughty or insolent."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contumely contumelies

There’s a big difference between despised love and disprized love, and between a proud man’s contumely and a poor man’s contumely.

From New York Times ● Nov. 24, 2021

The choice brought more contumely from fans, who had never heard of him, or feared another Andrea Bargnani, a fragile product of European ball.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 3, 2016

The white-haired “out” socialist delivered, heaping contumely on the billionaires and hedge fund managers in a Brooklyn baritone accent that, if you shut your eyes, sounded like Larry David.

From Newsweek ● Apr. 8, 2015

That contumely registered exactly 0% with the movie’s core constituency: the ladies.

From Time ● Nov. 20, 2011

Each day, Bull poured torrents of contumely on his morning paper.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

The love of injuries, contumelies, and humiliations, made him find in them his greatest joy.

From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Alban Butler

One of the same era or period; a contemporary. condign   Deserved; adequate. contemned   Viewed with contempt; despised. contumelies   Rudeness or contempt arising from arrogance.

From Life and Public Services of John Quincy Adams Sixth President of the Unied States by William Henry Seward

Yet such a war, under such circumstances, was denounced as unnecessary and unjust, though for no better reason than because greater contumelies had been endured at the hands of France.

From Life and Public Services of John Quincy Adams Sixth President of the Unied States by William Henry Seward

So faithfully preserves thou each small favor, And hast no memory for contumelies?

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 03 Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes by Kuno Francke

Notorious are the contumelies put upon the cases of grievance presented from the people in the House of Commons.

From A Logic Of Facts Or, Every-day Reasoning by George Jacob Holyoake