insult
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in·sult
(ĭn-sŭlt′)insult
in•sult
(v. ɪnˈsʌlt; n. ˈɪn sʌlt)v.t.
insult
- insult - In medicine and science, it can mean "trauma, something that disturbs normal functions."
- political correctness - Can be an insult, accusation, joke, or the name of an effort to change a society by means of wide-ranging but often small-scale cultural reform.
- outrage - The true etymology of outrage has nothing to do with out or rage—rather, it is a borrowing from French outrage, "insult, outrage," based on Latin ultra, "beyond," and -agium, a noun suffix; outrage first meant "lack of moderation."
- umbrage - From Latin umbra, "shadow," in English it originally meant "shade, shadow," then shadowy suspicion, and then displeasure or resentment at a slight or insult.
Insult
(See also RIDICULE.)
barrack To boo or hiss; to voice loudly one’s disapproval of a player, performer, or team at a public event. This British term is thought by some to be a back formation of the cockney word barrakin ‘senseless talk,’ although the OED claims an Australian origin. The word appeared in use in the late 19th century. The term to barrack for has the opposite meaning: ‘to cheer for, or support vocally.’
bite one’s thumb at To insult or show contempt for someone. The gesture, as defined by the 17th-century English lexicographer Randle Cotgrave, meant “to threaten or defy by putting the thumb nail into the mouth, and with a jerk [from the upper teeth] make it to knack [click or snap].” A famous use of the phrase is from Shakespeare:
I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it. (Romeo and Juliet, I, i)
catcall A harsh, whistling sound, something like the cry of a cat, used by theater and other audiences to express their disapproval, displeasure, or impatience; the whistlelike instrument used to make this sound. This term dates from the mid-1600s.
cock a snook A British slang expression for the gesture of putting one’s thumb on one’s nose and extending the fingers, equivalent to thumb one’s nose. The origin of snook is obscure, and based on citations from as early as 1879, it can refer to other derisive gestures as well. An earlier form of this phrase is to take a sight.
“To take a sight at a person” a vulgar action employed by street boys to denote incredulity, or contempt for authority, by placing the thumb against the nose and closing all the fingers except the little one, which is agitated in token of derision. (John C. Hotten, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words, 1860)
A current variant of snook is snoot, a slang term for the nose.
fork the fingers To use one’s digits in a disdainful motion toward another person. This self-explanatory expression is heard less often now than in past centuries.
His wife … Behind him forks her fingers. (Sir John Mennes and J. Smith, Witts Recreations, 1640)
give the bird To hiss or boo; to dismiss or fire; to receive unsupportive, hostile feedback. The original phrase was give the goose, a theater slang expression dating from the beginning of the 19th century. Goose or bird, and currently raspberry or Bronx cheer, refer to the hissing sound made by an audience mimicking the similar sound made by a goose. It expresses disapproval, hostility, or rejection, and was directed at a performer or the play. Today it is a popular sound effect used by crowds at sporting events, although give the bird is also heard in other unrelated contexts. For example, an employer who dismisses an employee is said to give the bird, akin to give the sack. And in interpersonal relationships, the bird is analogous to the brush-off or the gate.
She gave him the bird—finally and for good. So he came to Spain to forget his broken heart. (P. Kemp, Mine Were of Trouble, 1957)
A familiar vulgar meaning of give the bird is to make the obscene and offensive gesture of extending the middle finger.
give the fig To insult; also the fig of Spain and the now obsolete to give the fico. The fig or Italian fico is a contemptuous gesture which involves putting the thumb between the first two fingers or in the mouth. English versions of both expressions date from the late 16th century. The equivalent French and Spanish phrases are faire la figue and dar la higa respectively.
give the raspberry To show ridicule or disapproval by making a vulgar noise; to respond in a scornful, acrimonious manner. Raspberry, a slang term dating from the turn of the century, refers to any expression of disapproval or scorn.
The humorist answered them by a gesture known in polite circles as a “raspberry.” (T. Burke, Nights in Town, 1915)
Convict son totters up the steps of the old home and punches the bell. What awaits him beyond? Forgiveness? Or the raspberry? (P. G. Wodehouse, Damsel in Distress, 1920)
However, the most common raspberry is the sound effect known also as the bird, goose, or Bronx cheer. Razz, short for raspberry, is a slang verb meaning ‘to ridicule or deride,’ akin in use to the verb tease.
make horns at To insult by making the offensive gesture of extending the fist with the forefinger and pinkie extended and the middle fingers doubled in. This now obsolete derisive expression implies that the person being insulted is a cuckold.
He would have laine withe the Countess of Nottinghame, making horns in derision at her husband the Lord High Admiral. (Sir E. Peyton, The Divine Catastrophe of the … House of Stuarts, 1652)
See wear the horns, INFIDELITY.
a plague on both your houses An imprecation invoked upon two parties, each at odds with the other; often a denunciation of both of America’s two leading political parties. Shakespeare coined this expression in Romeo and Juliet (III, i):
I am hurt.
A plague o’ both your houses! I am sped.
Is he gone, and hath nothing?
a slap in the face A stinging insult; a harsh or sarcastic rejection, rebuke, or censure. This expression alludes to a literal blow to the face, a universal sign of rejection or disapproval. The implication is that a verbal blow, particularly an unexpected one, can be just as painful and devastating as a physical one.
[He] could not help feeling severely the very vigorous slap on the face which had been administered to him. (Thomas Trollope, La Beata, 1861)
thumb one’s nose Literally, to put one’s thumb to one’s nose and extend the fingers, a gesture expressive of scorn, derision or contempt. This U.S. phrase came into use concurrently with give the raspberry in the early 1900s and is popular today. The gesture is considered offensive, but not as vulgar as the gesture known as the bird.
He thumbed his nose with both thumbs at once and told me to climb the Tour d’Eiffel and stay there. (B. Hall, One Man’s War, 1916)
insult
Past participle: insulted
Gerund: insulting
| Imperative |
|---|
| insult |
| insult |
| Noun | 1. |  insult - a rude expression intended to offend or hurt; "when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse"; "they yelled insults at the visiting team"discourtesy, disrespect - an expression of lack of respect low blow - unscrupulous abuse billingsgate, scurrility - foul-mouthed or obscene abuse invective, vituperation, vitriol - abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will |
| 2. |  insult - a deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect; "turning his back on me was a deliberate insult"offense, offensive activity, discourtesy, offence - a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others indignity - an affront to one's dignity or self-esteem | |
| Verb | 1. |  insult - treat, mention, or speak to rudely; "He insulted her with his rude remarks"; "the student who had betrayed his classmate was dissed by everyone" |
insult
offend praise, flatter, big up (slang, chiefly Caribbean)
"This is adding insult to injuries" [Edward Moore The Foundling]