insult

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To be insensitive, insolent, or rude to (somebody); to affront or demean (someone).
2. (also, figuratively, obsolete, transitive) To assail, assault, or attack; (specifically, military) to carry out an assault, attack, or onset without preparation.
3. (intransitive, obsolete) To behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (against or over someone).
4. (intransitive, obsolete, rare) To leap or trample upon.

Noun

1. (uncountable) Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect.
2. (countable) Something that causes offence (for example, by being of an unacceptable quality).
3. (countable, uncountable) Something causing disease or injury to the body or bodily processes; the injury so caused.
4. (also, archaic, countable, figuratively) An assault or attack; (specifically, military, obsolete) an assault, attack, or onset carried out without preparation.
5. (countable, obsolete) An act of leaping upon.

Opposite of

compliment

Synonyms

abuse

affront

offend

curse

humiliate

slight

offense

disgrace

offence

outrage

disrespect

contempt

injury

ridicule

scold

mock

contumely

humiliation

disparage

revile

taunt

slander

indignity

diss

denigrate

shame

degrade

slur

look down upon

disdain

scorn

belittle

maltreat

revilement

offense

offence

hurt

attack

👊

invective

accuse

reproach

underestimate

tease

vilification

dishonour

despise

jeer

deride

insolence

injure

Translations

insulter

insulte

insultar

insultare

Beleidigung

beleidigen

insulto

insulto

injure

offendere

insulto

affront

belediging

beledigen

affronto

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪnˈsʌlt/

Etymology

Cognate with French: insulter

Cognate with French: insulte

In summary

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.