insult

[verb in-suhlt; noun in-suhlt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR insult ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.

to affect as an affront; offend or demean.

Archaic. to attack; assault.

verb (used without object)

Archaic. to behave with insolent triumph; exult contemptuously (usually followed by on, upon, or over).

noun

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.

Origin of insult

1560–70; < Latin insultāre to jump on, insult, equivalent to in- in-² + -sultāre, combining form of saltāre to jump; see saltant

Related formsin·sult·a·ble, adjectivein·sult·er, nounpre·in·sult, verb (used with object)qua·si-in·sult·ed, adjectiveun·in·sult·a·ble, adjectiveun·in·sult·ed, adjective

Synonyms for insult

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR insult ON THESAURUS.COM

1. 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 for insult

1, 5. compliment.

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

Related Words for insult

shame, disgrace, affront, slight, blasphemy, taunt, indignity, invective, slap, disrespect, put-down, slander, abuse, snub, libel, outrage, scorn, contempt, annoy, curse

Examples from the Web for insult

Contemporary Examples of insult

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 More
Kevin Fallon
December 19, 2014
The cardinals had such a bad reputation that the very term “cardinal” became an insult in Renaissance Rome.
Great Renaissance Art Thrived Amid Filth
Nick Romeo
December 3, 2014
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.
Yes, ‘Aspergery’ Is a Slur and It's Time to Stop Using It
Emily Shire
October 30, 2014
Donald Trump has gone all the way to Iowa to insult New York.
Trump Travels to Iowa, Bashes New York
Ben Jacobs
October 23, 2014
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 Putin
Marlow Stern
October 9, 2014

Historical Examples of insult

He would not have cared half so much for any insult to himself.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
They shall find out that they cannot insult me with impunity.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
It won't be any safer to insult me now than it was yesterday.
Brave and Bold
Horatio 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

British Dictionary definitions for insult

insult

verb (ɪnˈsʌlt) (tr)

to treat, mention, or speak to rudely; offend; affront

obsolete to assault; attack

noun (ˈɪnsʌlt)

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

Derived Formsinsulter, noun

Word Origin for insult

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for insult

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.

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.

insult in Medicine

insult

[ĭn′sŭlt′]

n.

A bodily injury, irritation, or trauma.

Idioms and Phrases with insult

insult

see add insult to injury.