INSULTING Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

insulting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of insulting

as in offensive

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home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

Even instances of heckling at games – over performance on the court – felt good-natured, rather than insulting. — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026 At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me. — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Verb

Griffin brought up the moment as the cohosts discussed Andy Cohen apologizing for previously insulting Dancing With the Stars performer Julia Stiles, who called the Watch What Happens Live host out on DWTS earlier this week. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026 There were also insulting chants against Sanchez, another sign of the noisy debate over the government's handling of the crisis. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insulting

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insulting

Adjective

North Korea described the Hero Kim Kun Ok as one of the navy’s key offensive assets when it was unveiled in 2023.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Given all of Los Angeles’ injuries along its offensive line, this weekend’s matchup should present opportunities for the Chiefs’ front seven to get back to the quarterback — and perhaps earn a Cram Award along the way.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of offensive

Verb

Interestingly, there is no statistically detectable difference in offending rates before college, suggesting the future fraternity members weren’t always fundamentally different in their behavior.

— Jens Ludwig, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
What that means is that drone hunter just locked on to the offending drone.

— Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of offending

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

Verb

The Hitlerite hordes are murdering and outraging the peaceful inhabitants of our country, having no mercy on women, children or old people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
On Day 1 of the truce, and in the days since, Israel has stepped up attacks against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, in Lebanon, outraging Iran and leading to accusations the terms had been breached.

— Justin Fishel, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026

Definition of outraging

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

In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.

— Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026

Definition of vituperative

Verb

Oakley and Dolan have long feuded, with Oakley accusing Dolan of treating him less favorably than other Knicks legends, including by not providing him complimentary tickets and allegedly disrespecting him in other ways.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Aug. 2026
The leak itself received a mountain of backlash from industry professionals, animators and others for disrespecting the years of work put into crafting the film.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of disrespecting

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insulters

insulting

insults

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Style

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

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Synonyms of insulting

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

7 Shakespearean Insults to Make Life...

Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 2

Test Your Insult Skills

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