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Insult
Definitions
- 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."
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- 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."
- 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."
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.
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.
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