1
as in disrespect
disrespectful or argumentative talk given in response to a command or request
amazed that parents would tolerate such insolence from their teenaged children
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2
as in disrespectfulness
rude behavior
her frequent displays of insolence have lowered her standing among movie fans
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of insolence
In the worst-case scenario, the resistance escalated, paranoid readings of each party’s intentions dominated on both sides, and the classroom spiralled into suspicion, insolence, complaint, or outright rebellion.
—
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
The insolence!
—Vulture, 16 Sep. 2022
But his insolence doesn’t offend the Elf, who’s been getting pretty close with some of these underlings—in particular the human woman Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), with whom he’s developed an Arwen-Aragorn-like flirtation.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 2 Sep. 2022
Harvey progresses from icy insolence to pitiable despondency, revealing the extent of Shaw’s lack of autonomy when he is accidentally triggered and walks into a lake; and Sinatra, in his best dramatic part, projects commanding fraternal feeling.
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for insolence 
Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 11 July 2023
The insolence!
—Vulture, 16 Sep. 2022
But his insolence doesn’t offend the Elf, who’s been getting pretty close with some of these underlings—in particular the human woman Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), with whom he’s developed an Arwen-Aragorn-like flirtation.
—Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE, 2 Sep. 2022
Harvey progresses from icy insolence to pitiable despondency, revealing the extent of Shaw’s lack of autonomy when he is accidentally triggered and walks into a lake; and Sinatra, in his best dramatic part, projects commanding fraternal feeling.
—Peter Tonguette, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022
See all Example Sentences for insolence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insolence
Noun
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No disrespect to the American blue line, but the drop-off after Buium is wider for USA.The Athletic NHL Staff, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
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No disrespect to my fellow writer Tom Scocca, but LEDs have gotten pretty great.Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Such calls for regulatory actions against short sellers are all based on the assumption that short selling is nefarious — that daring to take a negative view of a company’s stock is tantamount to market manipulation, especially if the short sellers have the impudence to publicize their viewpoint.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023
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For many enslaved people, a mistress’s complaint of impudence could end in a beating.Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Bad hygiene, rudeness and talking too much about exes will be the biggest no-nos.Analis Bailey, Axios, 14 Dec. 2024
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Not drinking alcohol — for whatever reason — tends to trigger rudeness in people who do drink.Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The impertinence of the Kodak fiend has become a vast, invisible apparatus of computation that is perpetually grinding data from the grist of our daily affairs, and exploiting such information for all sorts of ends.Ben Tarnoff, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2024
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Her highly English mix of impertinence, acerbic prose and class obsession turned the then-flailing magazine into a success.Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near insolence
Cite this Entry
“Insolence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insolence. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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