contumely
Americannoun
-
scornful or insulting language or behaviour
-
a humiliating or scornful insult
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Instead of grilling young Kenneth and holding him up to Contumely and forbidding him the use of the Cozy Corner, he started in to boost the Love Match.
From Ade's Fables by Ade, George
Instead of grilling young Kenneth and holding him up to Contumely and forbidding him the use of Cozy Corner, he started in to boost the Love Match.
From Ade's Fables by McCutcheon, John T.
The breach of which Law, is commonly called Contumely.
From Leviathan by Hobbes, Thomas
The 8th is against Contumely, as provocative of dispeace.
From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander
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.
