insulting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of insultingnext
as in offensive

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insulting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of insult
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to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Adjective
Russian politicians and state media were thrilled to hear the U.S. president backing their insulting and obvious lies. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025 La Liga players are often shown red cards for taking protests past the level which referees deem acceptable, sometimes for words which are less insulting or disrespectful than what was said by Bellingham. — Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025 Even more difficult in the day-to-day is Donald Trump’s relentless and insulting commentary. — Ken Dryden, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2025 The incredibly insulting idea of canceling the name of the prolific U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde was bad enough. — Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for insulting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insulting
  1. offensive
  2. outrageous
  3. abusive
  4. vituperative
  5. scurrilous
  6. obscene
  7. indecent
  8. invective
Adjective
  • Utah’s Kevin Stenlund then took a high-sticking penalty in Buffalo’s offensive zone.
    — Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Despite injuries, Richardson’s offensive line has been a rock in the program.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Since the mid-Nineties, he’s repeatedly reinvented R&B, hip-hop, and pop, lacing classics by the likes of Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z with skittering beats, future-shock synths, and his outrageous ear for samples and hooks.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Where the previous side story, The Man Who Erased His Name, forced protagonist Kiryu to wrestle with his lonely existence, this romp casts anti-hero Goro Majima as an outrageous modern-day pirate.
    — James Perkins Mastromarino, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • Craig, on the other hand, is a skittish cat who was rescued from an abusive situation before being adopted.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • These studies focus on long-term patterns of yelling and other abusive behaviors. 6 .
    — Daryl Austin, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of abusive
Adjective
  • Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.
    — Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
  • Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of vituperative
Adjective
  • One upshot was Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which to this day insulates social media from legal liability for the content — however incendiary or scurrilous — that users post.
    — Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Facts won’t deter Republicans on this point, however, for the same reason that Trump and his running mate, J. D. Vance, keep repeating their scurrilous lies about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of Ohio: white anxiety about a diversifying country has become one of the Party’s greatest assets.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2024
Definition of scurrilous
Adjective
  • Taken by the apparent deterioration of his health, users made those clips go viral and eventually adapted the money spread into a mini-dance trend where users bop to the song before flaunting an obscene amount of cash (or weed baggies or fishing lures!).
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2025
  • But there are more visible and indecent »Paris Game« leftovers: the enormous/obscene sportsbook ads on display at every other métro station.
    — Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Orange Beach has a vulgarity ordinance on the books, which was enacted about a decade ago amid concerns about vulgar or indecent T-shirts and other merchandise sold at souvenir stores.
    — al, al, 20 Jan. 2023
  • Because there are more good people than indecent ones.
    — Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 12 Jan. 2023
Definition of indecent
Adjective
  • In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Vanya absconds from the house, leaving Ani, who surprises Toros with her strength and invective.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of invective

Browse Nearby Words

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insulting
insults
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Cite this Entry

“Insulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insulting. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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