insulting

1 of 2

adjective

in·​sult·​ing in-ˈsəl-tiŋ 

: giving or intended to give offense : being or containing an insult (see insult entry 2 sense 1)

Without the wit, of course, such sentiments would be construed as deeply insulting …

—The American Scholar

… pasted insulting bumper stickers on their vehicles …

—James A. Michener

… considered the proposal so impracticable as to be insulting.

—Alice Adams

The book is "dumbed down" to an almost insulting level.

—Joel Bangilan

insultingly

in-ˈsəl-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

But always his triumphs are the triumphs of a highly sensitive man: a man must feel insults before he can so insultingly and splendidly avenge them.

—G. K. Chesterton

He is a gifted preacher, fashioning sermons that are neither inaccessibly erudite nor insultingly shallow.

—Kevin Sack

insulting

2 of 2

present participle of insult entry 1

Examples of insulting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Even more difficult in the day-to-day is Donald Trump’s relentless and insulting commentary. —Ken Dryden, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2025

The incredibly insulting idea of canceling the name of the prolific U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde was bad enough. —Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025

And there will always be an art form that is insulting towards whatever status quo is established. —Laura Zornosa, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2025

This comes amid President Donald Trump’s remarks that Canada should become a U.S. state — remarks many Canadians find deeply insulting — and as the Trump administration threatens tariffs on its neighbor to the north. —Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for insulting

• consulting
• exulting
• resulting