insult
Definitions
To say or do something that offends someone or hurts their dignity.
侮辱，冒犯。
A rude or offensive remark or action.
侮辱（性的言行）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin- (upon) + sult (leap, from Latin salīre) = to leap upon someone. The Roman image was literal — jumping on a fallen enemy. The attack later moved from the body to the ego, so to insult now means to assault someone's dignity with words.
Root sult still carries 9 more wordsWhy It Means This
Insult literally means 'to leap upon.' Picture an ancient soldier jumping on a defeated foe to trample him — that physical violence is the root image. As societies replaced fists with words, the leap stayed but the target changed: now an insult lands on your pride, not your body. That history is why an insult still feels like a blow.
Usage Guide
Stress shifts with part of speech: IN-sult (noun) vs in-SULT (verb) — like many two-syllable noun/verb pairs in English. 'Add insult to injury' = make a bad situation worse. 'An insult to one's intelligence' = something so foolish it offends.
Example Sentences
- 1.
He insulted the waiter and was asked to leave.
- 2.
She took his comment as a personal insult.
- 3.
Cutting his pay was an insult after years of loyalty.
Easily Confused
insult vs offend — to insult is deliberate and pointed (you mean to wound); to offend can be accidental (you may offend without intending to). You can offend someone by mistake; you insult them on purpose.
Synonym Comparison
- insult — a pointed remark meant to wound dignity
- offend — to upset someone's feelings, may be unintentional
- affront — formal; an open, deliberate insult to honor
- slight — a small insult by neglect or dismissal
- mock — to insult by ridicule and imitation