insult
[verb in-suhlt; noun in-suhlt]
- to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.
- to affect as an affront; offend or demean.
- Archaic. to attack; assault.
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- Archaic. to behave with insolent triumph; exult contemptuously (usually followed by on, upon, or over).
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- an insolent or contemptuously rude action or remark; affront.
- something having the effect of an affront: That book is an insult to one's intelligence.
- Medicine/Medical.
- an injury or trauma.
- an agent that inflicts this.
- Archaic. an attack or assault.
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Origin of insult
Synonyms
See more synonyms for insult on Thesaurus.com1. offend, scorn, injure, abuse. 5. offense, outrage. Insult, indignity, affront, slight imply an act that injures another's honor, self-respect, etc. Insult implies such insolence of speech or manner as deeply humiliates or wounds one's feelings and arouses to anger. Indignity is especially used of inconsiderate, contemptuous treatment toward one entitled to respect. Affront implies open disrespect or offense shown, as it were, to the face. Slight may imply inadvertent indifference or disregard, which may also indicate ill-concealed contempt.
Antonyms
1, 5. compliment.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for insult
Contemporary Examples
Insult to injury, its $43 million gross was less than one-fifth of what Ted took in.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and MoreKevin Fallon
December 19, 2014
The cardinals had such a bad reputation that the very term “cardinal” became an insult in Renaissance Rome.
At least part of the motivation for that change came from people coming out of the closet and putting a human face on the insult.
Donald Trump has gone all the way to Iowa to insult New York.
Why do you insult thousands of years of tradition in such an awful way?
Putin’s Hockey Pal Tells All: Slava Fetisov on ‘Red Army,’ Soviet Nostalgia, and What Drives PutinMarlow Stern
October 9, 2014
Historical Examples
He would not have cared half so much for any insult to himself.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
They shall find out that they cannot insult me with impunity.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
It won't be any safer to insult me now than it was yesterday.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Patience will be the fittest return I can make to such an insult.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
I met only with insult for this—Bella has not a feeling heart.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
insult
- to treat, mention, or speak to rudely; offend; affront
- obsolete to assault; attack
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- an offensive or contemptuous remark or action; affront; slight
- a person or thing producing the effect of an affrontsome television is an insult to intelligence
- med an injury or trauma
- add insult to injury to make an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin insultāre to jump upon, from in- ² + saltāre to jump
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for insult
v.
1560s, "triumph over in an arrogant way," from Middle French insulter (14c.) and directly from Latin insultare "to assail, to leap upon" (already used by Cicero in sense of "insult, scoff at, revile"), frequentative of insilire "leap at or upon," from in- "on, at" (see in- (2)) + salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sense of "to verbally abuse, affront, assail with disrespect" is from 1610s. Related: Insulted; insulting.
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n.
c.1600 in the sense of "attack;" 1670s as "an act of insulting," from Middle French insult (14c.) or directly from Late Latin insultus, from insilire (see insult (v.)). To add insult to injury translates Latin injuriae contumeliam addere.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
insult
(ĭn′sŭlt′)- A bodily injury, irritation, or trauma.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Idioms and Phrases with insult
insult
see add insult to injury.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.