insult

11 synonyms and 5 antonyms for insult, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

slight abuse

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

offend

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

affront disparage slur snub diss contumely vilification revilement

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone.

“Don't insult your little brother just because he lost the game.”

affront slight offend disparage slur snub diss

Opposites

compliment respect flatter praise honor

2. noun

A rude remark or action meant to offend someone.

“Calling the team lazy was an unfair insult, since they had worked all night.”

contumely abuse vilification revilement affront

Opposites

praise compliment

How to use insult

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

throw an insult take it as an insult insult someone's intelligence

Etymology

From Latin insultare, "to leap or spring upon; to taunt," the frequentative form of insilire ("to leap upon"), from in- + salire ("to jump").

Full origin of insult →

Frequently asked questions

What does “insult” mean?

The word “insult” means to say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone. In plain terms, a deliberately offensive comment or action, or the act of making one.

How do you pronounce “insult”?

“Insult” is pronounced ihn-SUHLT (/ɪnˈsʌlt/ in IPA).

How do you use “insult” in a sentence?

Here is “insult” used in a sentence: “He insulted her cooking in front of all the guests.”

What part of speech is “insult”?

Depending on how it is used, “insult” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “insult” come from?

The word “insult” comes from Latin. From Latin insultare, "to leap or spring upon; to taunt," the frequentative form of insilire ("to leap upon"), from in- + salire ("to jump").

Is “insult” a common word?

“Insult” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “insult” have?

“Insult” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone.

What is the difference between insult and offend?

To 'insult' is to deliberately say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone, while to 'offend' is to cause someone to feel hurt or upset, which can happen even unintentionally. Every insult can offend, but you can offend without meaning to insult.

What is the difference between an insult and criticism?

An insult is a rude remark meant to offend a person, while criticism is a judgment about someone's work or ideas and can be constructive. Criticism targets the work; an insult targets the person.

What adjectives commonly describe an insult?

Common collocations include 'personal insult', 'deliberate insult', 'grave insult', and 'veiled insult'. These pairings describe how pointed or serious the offense is.

People also searched

respect abuse honor praise slight compliment offend flatter diss disparage contumely affront

Nearby words

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