insult

[v. in-suhlt; n. in-suhlt] /v. ɪnˈsʌlt; n. ˈɪn sʌlt/
verb (used with object)
1.
to treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; affront.
2.
to affect as an affront; offend or demean.
3.
Archaic. to attack; assault.
verb (used without object)
4.
Archaic. to behave with insolent triumph; exult contemptuously (usually followed by on, upon, or over).
noun
5.
an insolent or contemptuously rude action or remark; affront.
6.
something having the effect of an affront:
That book is an insult to one's intelligence.
7.
Medicine/Medical.
  1. an injury or trauma.
  2. an agent that inflicts this.
8.
Archaic. an attack or assault.
Origin
1560-70; < Latin insultāre to jump on, insult, equivalent to in- in-2 + -sultāre, combining form of saltāre to jump; see saltant
Related forms
insultable, adjective
insulter, noun
preinsult, verb (used with object)
quasi-insulted, adjective
uninsultable, adjective
uninsulted, adjective
Synonyms
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
1, 5. compliment.
Examples from the web for insult
  • Venom sells, and the guests broke up at each four-letter insult.
  • Use humor to control behavior, don't outright insult them as people.
  • Also, to insult people anonymously says even more about the character of these people.
  • Declining to drink this offering is considered an insult.
  • The science news roundup that doesn't insult your intelligence or put you to sleep.
  • By all means return him the favor: insult his supposed intelligence.
  • To say this story doesn't quite add up is an insult to math.
  • When you insult one of them, you insult many things at once.
  • Hyper-sensitivity to insult is such a dreary character trait.
  • Quark stars are thought to be made of degenerate quark matter, which is not meant as an insult.
British Dictionary definitions for insult

insult

verb (transitive) (ɪnˈsʌlt)
1.
to treat, mention, or speak to rudely; offend; affront
2.
(obsolete) to assault; attack
noun (ˈɪnsʌlt)
3.
an offensive or contemptuous remark or action; affront; slight
4.
a person or thing producing the effect of an affront: some television is an insult to intelligence
5.
(med) an injury or trauma
6.
add insult to injury, to make an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse
Derived Forms
insulter, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin insultāre to jump upon, from in-² + saltāre to jump
Word Origin and History for insult
v.

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.

n.

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 in·sult (ĭn'sŭlt')
n.
A bodily injury, irritation, or trauma.

Idioms and Phrases with insult

insult

see: add insult to injury