insult Hear it!

insult definition

in·sult (in sult; for n. insult′)

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

Etymology: 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:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
insult Synonyms

insult

n.


insult

v.

affront, revile, vilify, libel, offend, outrage, abuse, humiliate, mock, vex, tease, call names, irritate, annoy, aggravate, provoke, deride, taunt, laugh down, ridicule, gibe at, jeer, slight, demean, underestimate, take a slap at*, step on one's toes*, rank out*; see also offend, slander.

Insulting remarks include: nuts, nerts, says you, go jump in the lake, in my eye, don't make me laugh, shut your face, shut up, so's your old man, you're crazy, baloney, bull, nuts to you, in a pig's eye, up yours, horse manure, tell it to the marines, my foot, my eye, does your mother know you're out?, another country heard from, drop dead, stuff it, stick it, read my lips, go suck eggs, go to hell, go pound salt, go pound sand, stick it where the sun don't shine, stick it in your ear, you know where you can stick it.

Antonyms praise*, extol*, glorify. See syn. study at offend.offend.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

insult Usage Examples

Object

  • prophet: Scores waved placards bearing angry messages, one declaring: " Behead the one who insults the prophet " .

Converse of object

  • hurl: May you find the response to an insult hurled at you in a dispute.

Adjective modifier

  • gratuitous: The audience, carefully selected to be hostile, offered a series of gratuitous insults to the Prime Minister.

Modifying Another Word

  • personally: Is Ken Livingstone going to personally insult all 55 Ambassadors and their countries?

Noun used with modifier

  • trading: By now Alan, Gordon and Virgil were indulging in a round of pushing and shoving each other whilst trading insults.
insult usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

insult quotes

It is all too rare today to hear the clear, clean ring of a really original insult.

-Carrigan,Jim R(ichard)

An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.

-Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of

   Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.

-Chesterton, G(ilbert) K(eith)

insult quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"insult." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/insult>

APA Style

insult. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/insult

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment