verb
insult
ihn-SUHLT
verb
1
To say or do something rude or disrespectful to someone.
"He insulted her cooking in front of all the guests."
noun
1
A rude remark or action meant to offend someone.
"She ignored the insult and kept walking."
"The low pay felt like an insult after all his hard work."
How to Use Insult
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA deliberately offensive comment or action, or the act of making one.
Common pairings
throw an insult
take it as an insult
insult someone's intelligence
Word Forms
insulted past tense, insults plural, insults singular
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Etymology
From Latin insultare, "to leap or spring upon; to taunt," the frequentative form of insilire ("to leap upon"), from in- + salire ("to jump").