What does "insult" mean?
Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect.
Insult
/ɪnˈsʌlt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect.
- Grammar: insult is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: affront, abase, abuse, abuse.
- Useful contrasts: formal bow, honeyed, ingratiating.
- Usage evidence: Your remark amounts almost to insult.
How to use "insult"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "insult" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "insult" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "insult" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "insult" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "insult" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "affront" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "insult", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect. uncountable
"Preſent we meet thy ſneaking treacherous ſmiles; The harmleſs abſent ſtill thy ſneer reviles; Such as in thee all parts ſuperior find, The ſneer that marks the fool and knave combin'd; When melting pity would afford relief The ruthleſs ſneer that insult adds to grief."
- 2 a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect wordnet
- 3 Something that causes offence (for example, by being of an unacceptable quality). countable
"The way the orchestra performed tonight was an insult to my ears."
- 4 a rude expression intended to offend or hurt wordnet
- 5 Something causing disease or injury to the body or bodily processes; the injury so caused. countable, uncountable
"The exact nature of the teratological insult in diabetic pregnancy, and the cell biological details of the induced disturbances, are not known."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An assault or attack; (specifically, military, obsolete) an assault, attack, or onset carried out without preparation. also, archaic, countable, figuratively
"Then fir'd with pious Rage, the gen'rous Train / Run madly forward, to revenge the ſlain. / And ſome with eager haſte their Jav'lins throw; / And ſome, with Sword in hand, aſſault the Foe. / The wiſh'd Inſult the Latine Troops embrace; / And meet their Ardour in the middle Space."
- 7 An act of leaping upon. countable, obsolete
"The Bull's Inſult at Four ſhe [the mother cow] may ſuſtain; / But, after Ten, from Nuptial Rites refrain. / Six Seaſons uſe; but then releaſe the Cow, / Unfit for Love, and for the lab'ring Plough."
Verb
- 1 To be insensitive, insolent, or rude to (somebody); to affront or demean (someone). transitive
"- Marvel owns your gods! - Insulting is not arguing."
- 2 treat, mention, or speak to rudely wordnet
- 3 To assail, assault, or attack; (specifically, military) to carry out an assault, attack, or onset without preparation. also, figuratively, obsolete, transitive
"Giue me thy knife, I will inſult on him, Flattering my ſelfes, as if it were the Moore, Come hither purpoſely to poyſon me."
- 4 To behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (against or over someone). intransitive, obsolete
"And doe you ſe how he inſulteth ouer me, as though hee had gotten a great aduantage, and how hee taketh heere his reuenge vpon me, for the ſhipwracke hee ſuffered before, in the matter of his ſyllogyſme?"
- 5 To leap or trample upon. intransitive, obsolete, rare
"So looks the pent-vp Lyon o're the Wretch, / That trembles vnder his deuouring Pawes: / And ſo he walkes, inſulting o're his Prey, / And ſo he comes, to rend his Limbes aſunder."
Antonyms
Example
"Your remark amounts almost to insult."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "insult"?
Common synonyms include: affront, abase, abuse, abuse, addlehead, affront.
How do you use "insult" in a sentence?
Your remark amounts almost to insult.
How do you pronounce "insult"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈsʌlt/.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle French insulter (modern French insulter (“to insult”)) or its etymon Latin īnsultō (“to spring, leap or jump at or upon; to abuse, insult, revile, taunt”), the frequentative form of īnsiliō (“to bound; to leap in or upon”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + saliō (“to bound, jump, leap; to spring forth; to flow down”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to spring”)). The noun is derived from Middle French insult (modern French insulte (“insult”)) or its etymon Late Latin insultus (“insult, reviling, scoffing”), from īnsiliō (“to bound; to leap in or upon”); see above.