contumely
Americannoun
-
scornful or insulting language or behaviour
-
a humiliating or scornful insult
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing contumely
The Scarlet Letter
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Frankenstein
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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.
Rebuke is actually too frivolous a word for the contumely Mr. Wolfe looses in his direction.
From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2016
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
But neither of these films can compete in contumely with the scorn heaped on Movie 43 by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper.
From Time • Jan. 27, 2013
Each day, Bull poured torrents of contumely on his morning paper.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
