a. To treat with gross insensitivity, insolence, or contemptuous rudeness. See Synonyms at offend.
b. To affront or demean: an absurd speech that insulted the intelligence of the audience.
2. Obsolete To make an attack on.
v.intr.Archaic
1. To behave arrogantly.
2. To give offense; offend: a speech that was intended to insult.
n.(nslt)
1. An offensive action or remark.
2.
a. Medicine A bodily injury, irritation, or trauma.
b. Something that causes bodily injury, irritation, or trauma: the middle of the Bronx, buffeted and poisoned by the worst environmental insults that urban America can dish out(William K. Stevens).
[French insulter, from Old French, to assault, from Latin nsultre, to leap at, insult, frequentative of nsilre, to leap upon : in-, on; see in-2 + salre, to leap; see sel- in Indo-European roots.]
n-s
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nsult
re, to leap at, insult, frequentative of