CONTUMELIOUS Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

contumelious

adjective

ˌkän-tü-ˈmē-lē-əs

Definition of contumelious

as in abusive

marked by harsh insulting language a well-reasoned thesis that merited more than just a scornful, contumelious response

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contumelious

Adjective

Of course, parents should intervene when a coach is abusive or a child is genuinely being mistreated.

— Jonathan Alpert OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The policy prohibited speakers from directing remarks to individual council members and restricted comments considered personal or abusive.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of abusive

Adjective

Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

Chargers-Chiefs game prediction If not for the Chargers’ outrageous injury list, this would make for the perfect situation to pick a surprise Los Angeles win, or at the very least a cover.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Nené — outrageous and drag-inflected — opens Sebastián up to the power of queerness, and Cruz played a similar role for Guitarricadelafuente.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of outrageous

Adjective

Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.

— Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscene

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.

Browse Nearby Words

contumacy

contumelious

contuse

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contumelious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contumelious. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contumelious

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes