insolent

[ in-suh-luhnt ]
See synonyms for: insolentinsolentsinsolently on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting: an insolent reply.

noun
  1. an insolent person.

Origin of insolent

1
First recorded in1350–1400; Middle English from Latin insolent- (stem of insolēns ) “departing from custom,” equivalent to in- in-3 + sol- (stem of solēre “to be accustomed”) + -ent- -ent

synonym study For insolent

1. See impertinent.

Other words for insolent

Other words from insolent

  • in·so·lent·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·in·so·lent, adjective
  • o·ver·in·so·lent·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use insolent in a sentence

  • Monsieur Guillot was there, sitting insolently forward in his box, sleek and immaculate.

    The Double Four | E. Phillips Oppenheim
  • It was insolently lascivious, and seemed fond of affecting to gratify its strong desires in public.

    Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
  • No man could then rival him in the insolently aristocratic school of diplomacy which England has made her own.

    With Edged Tools | Henry Seton Merriman
  • Several times they insolently crossed our fields and that is something that Sheppy will not stand for.

  • He was not introduced to her, and never once spoke to her—only perpetually stared at her—so insolently and strangely.

British Dictionary definitions for insolent

insolent

/ (ˈɪnsələnt) /


adjective
  1. offensive, impudent, or disrespectful

Origin of insolent

1
C14: from Latin insolens, from in- 1 + solēre to be accustomed

Derived forms of insolent

  • insolence, noun
  • insolently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012