1
as in disrespect
disrespectful or argumentative talk given in response to a command or request
amazed that parents would tolerate such insolence from their teenaged children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disrespectfulness
rude behavior
her frequent displays of insolence have lowered her standing among movie fans
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insolence
In the worst-case scenario, the resistance escalated, paranoid readings of each party’s intentions dominated on both sides, and the classroom spiralled into suspicion, insolence, complaint, or outright rebellion.
—
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
The insolence!
—Vulture, 16 Sep. 2022
But his insolence doesn’t offend the Elf, who’s been getting pretty close with some of these underlings—in particular the human woman Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), with whom he’s developed an Arwen-Aragorn-like flirtation.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 2 Sep. 2022
Harvey progresses from icy insolence to pitiable despondency, revealing the extent of Shaw’s lack of autonomy when he is accidentally triggered and walks into a lake; and Sinatra, in his best dramatic part, projects commanding fraternal feeling.
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for insolence 
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
The insolence!
—Vulture, 16 Sep. 2022
But his insolence doesn’t offend the Elf, who’s been getting pretty close with some of these underlings—in particular the human woman Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), with whom he’s developed an Arwen-Aragorn-like flirtation.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 2 Sep. 2022
Harvey progresses from icy insolence to pitiable despondency, revealing the extent of Shaw’s lack of autonomy when he is accidentally triggered and walks into a lake; and Sinatra, in his best dramatic part, projects commanding fraternal feeling.
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for insolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insolence
Noun
-
No disrespect to Sir Paul McCartney, but Dwayne Carter Jr. (a.k.a. Lil Wayne) clearly had the superior musical medley of the night.—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Public disrespect should be met with the most immediate public apology through the same medium.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But it’s got impudence and élan, and a feeling for life on the margins of English society.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Such calls for regulatory actions against short sellers are all based on the assumption that short selling is nefarious — that daring to take a negative view of a company’s stock is tantamount to market manipulation, especially if the short sellers have the impudence to publicize their viewpoint.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2023
Noun
-
Even Sam, who hated conflict with a passion and preferred to let rudeness roll off her like water off the back of a duck, had a breaking point.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
12 Feb. 2025
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According to a LinkedIn article by Yves Laurent Khoury, public rudeness has become increasingly common, especially in high-stress environments like customer service or public spaces.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.—
Ben Tarnoff,
The New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2024
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Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.—
Michael M. Grynbaum,
New York Times,
8 June 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near insolence
Cite this Entry
“Insolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insolence. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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