as in offending
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offensive
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 insulting
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
To not even reach 10 percent is insulting to all involved and indicates how much needs to change, which is exactly what a group of industry power players are attempting to do in Nashville.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Stephen Townley, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Real World alum and life coach Kelley Wolf has been arrested in Utah after making several confrontational and insulting social media posts about family members and friends, including her estranged husband, the actor Scott Wolf, with whom she's embroiled in a contentious divorce.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Verb
Payton finds the implication insulting.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
To not even reach 10 percent is insulting to all involved and indicates how much needs to change, which is exactly what a group of industry power players are attempting to do in Nashville.
—Steve Baltin, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Adjective
In Thailand, a sedition law is frequently abused—alongside the draconian lèse-majesté law that criminalizes insulting royalty.
—Stephen Townley, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Real World alum and life coach Kelley Wolf has been arrested in Utah after making several confrontational and insulting social media posts about family members and friends, including her estranged husband, the actor Scott Wolf, with whom she's embroiled in a contentious divorce.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insulting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insulting
Verb
-
Democrats and progressives are unsure of much, wary of offending anyone in their coalition, and unclear who will lead them in 2028.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Linehan shared the allegedly offending X posts on his Substack page.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
If one employee spots profanity or offensive language in an application, then it is sent to another employee, and possibly moved up the chain.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The preseason play wasn’t encouraging, and Canales’ decision to rest the starters in the exhibition finale looks even more puzzling in hindsight, especially after the offensive group produced three three-and-outs and one touchdown drive.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
-
With eviction just around the corner, the duo embarks on a wild hustle through Los Angeles, pulling off increasingly outrageous stunts to stay afloat — while trying to keep their friendship from going under.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In addition to Carter’s disqualification, Nolan Smith was flagged for taunting and roughing the quarterback.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Rodgers held up his hand to his ear, taunting the fans who were talking smack to him.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The abusive father and violent end were a little above our collective pay grade, and paired very poorly with tea and Girl Scout cookies.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Hsiao-lee’s abusive parents constantly keep her on the edge.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The caller berated Dipoto for disrespecting his uniform number.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Megyn Kelly can’t seem to praise her beloved Sydney Sweeney without disrespecting Beyoncé in the same breath.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Even the company’s most vituperative detractors acknowledge its engineering genius and applaud its success in driving down launch expenses (unlike many defense contractors, SpaceX largely eats the cost of its failures).—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
-
Transcripts of the depositions conducted by utility lawyers were made public Friday in Superior Court and hundreds of pages of questions and answers suggest questions about who contributed what to the vituperative oped may never be answered to everyone’s satisfaction.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
-
Players known for sometimes scurrilous behavior were scared off by that lifetime ban.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insulting. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share