Insult
/ɪnˈsʌlt/noun
A rude or disrespectful remark or action.
Did you know?Insult comes from Latin insultare, literally “to leap upon,” so the original image was physical aggression before it became verbal abuse.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sel-
“to jump, spring”
Latin
Latin
saltāre
“to leap, dance”
Latin
Latin
insultāre
“to jump at, leap upon; to attack, assail”
Late Latin
LL
insultus
“an attack, an affront”
Middle French
French
insulte
“an affront, insult”
16th Century
English
insult
“an affront, verbal abuse”
Modern English
English
insult
“a rude or disrespectful remark or action”