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
Irrespective of the quality of the entertainment, the choice of language was an insult to the American people. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026 Republicans on a Florida House committee advanced a measure Tuesday to honor murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk, over objections that such a tribute would come as an insult to Black people, women and others. Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Hurry, sizes are going fast The comforter set is intentionally oversized to fit a variety of mattresses, and it’s insulted like a puffer jacket to keep you toasty warm at night. Michelle Baricevic, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026 And then the government is insulting their son. NBC news, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insult
Noun
  • Meanwhile, sitcoms like Friends marked a movement toward irony in comedy with its trademark tongue-in-cheek banter and sarcasm, Thompson explains.
    Liz Regalia, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Eby quipped with her usual dry sarcasm.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Northern publishers expurgated literary texts for fear of offending slaveholders; antislavery publications were barred from being mailed in the South.
    Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Perpetually offended, safe spaces, censoring free speech, culture of victimhood.
    Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • This conduct stoked public outrage, triggered backlash from local officials and prompted judges to intervene.
    Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
  • On the contrary, they were largely fuelled by moral outrage at the needless suffering religion caused.
    Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Reports of stumbling, slipping on the ice or just the indignity of having to yield to a robot were among common complaints submitted, Robertson said.
    Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
  • This time around, aside from warding off mental demons that arose from her crash, Shiffrin, at 30, must also fight the indignities of age.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The two slowly approached each other and Diabate put his head down to butt up against Duren’s forehead, leading to Duren taking a slap and swipe at Diabate.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
  • In this world, items are paid for by receiving slaps to the face.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • But now, unsurprisingly, politics are part of that debate, so the mere fact that Bad Bunny is brown and Latino and sings in Spanish is seen by some as an affront to the right.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • On that day, the mob hurled racist epithets, smoke bombs, and fists at him.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Vice Mayor Darian Martin, who is Black, condemned Urbom’s use of the racial epithet.
    Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 28 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Insult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insult. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on insult

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