insolence

[ in-suh-luh ns ]

/ ˈɪn sə ləns /

contemptuously rude or impertinent behavior or speech.

the quality or condition of being insolent.

Nearby words

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word insolentia. See insolent, -ence

Related formso·ver·in·so·lence, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Their insolence, luxury, degeneracy had gone to great lengths.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. III. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle
An incident, illustrative of his summary methods of dealing with the insolence of his enemies in authority, occurred at Pensacola.
The Battle of New Orleans|Zachary F. Smith
Perhaps silence was the best retort to her air of insolence.
The Honour of the Clintons|Archibald Marshall
It was insolence—brutal, overbearing insolence, with physical menace behind it.
The Croxley Master: A Great Tale Of The Prize Ring|Arthur Conan Doyle

The thing carries itself to my maturer and gratified sense as with every symptom of soundness, an insolence of health and joy.
The Awkward Age|Henry James

late 14c., from Latin insolentia "unusualness, haughtiness, arrogance," from insolentem (see insolent).