insult

Insult is defined as to speak with rudeness or to say something to offend.

(verb)

An example of insult is to call someone fat.

The definition of an insult is a rude or offending remark.

(noun)

An example of insult is calling someone stupid.

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See insult in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

  1. to treat or speak to with scorn, insolence, or great disrespect; subject to treatment, a remark, etc. that hurts or is meant to hurt the feelings or pride
  2. Obsolete to attack; assail

Origin: MFr insulter < L insultare, to leap upon, scoff at, insult < in-, in, on + saltare, freq. of salire, to leap: see salient

intransitive verb

Archaic to behave arrogantly

noun

  1. an insulting act, remark, etc.; affront; indignity
  2. Archaic an attack; assault
  3. Med.
    1. damage or injury to tissues or organs of the body
    2. anything that causes this

Related Forms:

See insult in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb in·sult·ed, in·sult·ing, in·sults
verb, transitive
  1. a. To treat with gross insensitivity, insolence, or contemptuous rudeness. See Synonyms at offend.
    b. To affront or demean: an absurd speech that insulted the intelligence of the audience.
  2. Obsolete To make an attack on.
verb, intransitive
Archaic
  1. To behave arrogantly.
  2. To give offense; offend: a speech that was intended to insult.
noun (ĭnˈsŭltˌ)
  1. An offensive action or remark.
  2. a. Medicine A bodily injury, irritation, or trauma.
    b. Something that causes bodily injury, irritation, or trauma: “the middle of the Bronx, buffeted and poisoned by the worst environmental insults that urban America can dish out” (William K. Stevens).

Origin:

Origin: French insulter

Origin: , from Old French, to assault

Origin: , from Latin īnsultāre, to leap at, insult

Origin: , frequentative of īnsilīre, to leap upon

Origin: : in-, on; see in-2

Origin: + salīre, to leap; see sel- in Indo-European roots

.

Related Forms:

  • in·sultˈer noun
  • in·sultˈing·ly adverb

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