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insult

in·sult

insult

 
 
parts of speech:
verb, noun
features:
Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: verb
pronunciation: ihn suhlt
inflections: insults, insulting, insulted
definition: to speak to or treat without respect or in a way that hurts feelings.
His comments about her clothes insulted her.
synonyms:
affront
antonyms:
compliment
similar words:
abuse, humiliate, offend, put down, slight, snub, taunt
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part of speech: noun
pronunciation: In suhlt
definition: a rude statement or action that hurts someone's feelings.
Not attending her sister's wedding was an insult to the family.
synonyms:
affront
antonyms:
compliment
similar words:
dig, offense, slight, snub, wound
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derivations: insultingly (adv.), insulter (n.)
Word History
Insult comes from a Latin word that means "to leap at" or leap upon." By the 1600s, it had come to mean "to treat with scorn and abuse." Today, an insult is an assault that uses words, not the body.
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