Added 9 October 2026
insult
/ɪnˈsʌlt/ noun
In Latin: insultō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about insult at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A rude expression intended to offend or hurt.
when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse
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A deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect.
turning his back on me was a deliberate insult
verb
Origin
The verb is derived from Middle French insulter (modern French insulter (“to insult”)) or its etymon Latin īnsultō (“to spring, leap or jump at or upon; to abuse, insult, revile, taunt”), the frequentative form of īnsiliō (“to bound; to leap in or upon”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + saliō (“to bound, jump, leap; to spring forth; to flow down”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“to spring”)). The noun is derived from Middle French insult (modern French insulte (“insult”)) or its etymon Late Latin insultus (“insult, reviling, scoffing”), from īnsiliō (“to bound; to leap in or upon”); see above.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)