insult 1 of 2

Definition of insultnext

insult

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word insult distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of insult are affront, offend, and outrage. While all these words mean "to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment," insult suggests deliberately causing humiliation, hurt pride, or shame.

insulted every guest at the party

When might affront be a better fit than insult?

The synonyms affront and insult are sometimes interchangeable, but affront implies treating with deliberate rudeness or contemptuous indifference to courtesy.

deeply affronted by his callousness

When would offend be a good substitute for insult?

The words offend and insult are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, offend need not imply an intentional hurting but it may indicate merely a violation of the victim's sense of what is proper or fitting.

hoped that my remarks had not offended her

Where would outrage be a reasonable alternative to insult?

The words outrage and insult can be used in similar contexts, but outrage implies offending beyond endurance and calling forth extreme feelings.

outraged by their accusations

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insult
Noun
Suddenly, the bright lights felt like an insult. Francesco Pacifico, The Dial, 12 May 2026 To add insult to injury, Knicks fans traveled to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4 to watch their team topple the 76ers. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Verb
Tuttle’s fearless inquisition won’t insult your intelligence, ask your mercy or hogtie your feelings. Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026 Turner managed to insult many with his shoot-from-the-lip style. David Bauder, Fortune, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for insult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insult
Noun
  • So, does Aaron Boone make anything of the fact that his Yankees can only beat up on bad teams (please note the sarcasm)?
    Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026
  • Yet even in that apparent act of accountability, the sarcasm never fully disappeared.
    Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Nothing could offend her more than the suggestion that her love for turning a spark of an idea into an electric joke is a waste of time.
    Caroline Framke, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026
  • No one should be offended at the mention of this.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Our outrage, yours and mine, will not be to scale.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
  • For a Dodgers team already resented for buying up baseball with its massive payroll, watching its star closer stroll through a cockfighting pit in full uniform feels tailor-made to ignite outrage back home.
    Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • The next day, we are met with twin indignities, setting up for an après-ski party and the arrival of Sabrina in what might be her dumbest outfit yet.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 May 2026
  • Minnesota suffered the indignity of watching its first team move to Dallas; Buffalo has had some lows that probably had fans wondering if relocation would put them out of their misery.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • Trading Mantha, for instance, would have been a slap in their faces.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • The Need For Improvement At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Cox is too solidly built to be a slap-and-run singles hitter.
    Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Still, the state supreme court opinion is not an affront to constitutional or democratic logic.
    Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
  • Still, the state supreme court opinion is not an affront to constitutional or democratic logic.
    Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • His nanny was his fierce protector and insulated him from the depredations of Nazis and their enablers, baptizing him and teaching him to handily hurl anti-Jewish epithets to fit in.
    Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2026
  • The moral decay of Karensville might as well be Charlottesville and the epithet-spewing McLeoud behaves too much like myriad red-state lawmen for comfort.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Insult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insult. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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