insult 1 of 2

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
The college bar features the bathroom that is an insult to wild animals, and yet young men find these places as the ideal spot to find love for one, but no more than two, evenings. Mac Engel may 15, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025 This is a disruption of progress, an insult to the residents of Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Grant Hill, Stockton, Shelltown, Southcrest and Mount Hope — communities that have historically been overpolluted and underfunded. Mark Stuart, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 May 2025
Verb
On a trip into town, Lucas gets into a scuffle with another boy who’s insulting their late mother, hurting him. Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 9 May 2025 Later, the man Husk is chasing, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), follows him to a hunting ground and insults Husk’s chain-smoking, suggesting his smell keeps the elk away. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for insult
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insult
Verb
  • Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 27 May 2025
  • Moskowitz said at the time, with tongue in cheek, he was offended by the low price, writing on social media that the store had reduced the value of his life’s work to less than $9.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • There’s tenderness and frustration, playfulness and sarcasm; respect and fatigue.
    Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
  • TikTok viewers chimed in with a mix of sarcasm, solidarity, and surprisingly creative suggestions.
    Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • His partners at his music and production label Fantasy Records [whose success with Creedence Clearwater Revival helped fund the movie] were outraged.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 May 2025
  • People who supported masks and social distancing during the pandemic were outraged.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • The author begins by narrating Abed’s life story in order to illustrate how the daily indignities of Israeli occupation have accrued over decades, affecting the family’s choices about where to live, work, and send their children to school.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
  • And county taxpayers now will feel the direct fallout of the county’s misadventures with Tyler along with the indignity of paying for them.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Insult.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insult. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on insult

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