insults

noun

(uncountable) Action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude; (countable) a particular act or statement having this effect.

(countable) Something that causes offence (for example, by being of an unacceptable quality).

(countable, uncountable, medicine) Something causing disease or injury to the body or bodily processes; the injury so caused.

(countable, also figuratively, archaic) An assault or attack; (specifically, military, obsolete) an assault, attack, or onset carried out without preparation.

(countable, obsolete) An act of leaping upon.

verb

(transitive) To be insensitive, insolent, or rude to (somebody); to affront or demean (someone).

(transitive, also figuratively, obsolete) To assail, assault, or attack; (specifically, military) to carry out an assault, attack, or onset without preparation.

(intransitive, obsolete) To behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (against or over someone).

(intransitive, obsolete, rare) To leap or trample upon.

Roots

saliosult- · Latin · leap

Synonyms & related words for insults

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Words related to insults

Explore words related to insults — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include contumely, affront, revilement, vilification, insulting, abuse, insulter, insulted. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does insults come from?

The word insults breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root sult-, from Latin salio (“leap”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.