insolent
22
7.1
- adjective
- /ˈɪn.sə.lənt/
:
insolente
- His insolent attitude during the meeting upset everyone present.
It was Jasper, Jasper's insolent, handsome young face and silver clasp, Gray cloak and stiff stride.
- It was Jasper, Jasper's insolent, handsome young face and silver clasp, Gray cloak and stiff stride.
- As if scribbled, the withheld stares back onto its insolent intention.
Examples
-
How dare you, you insolent peasant!
-
I don't like that insolent tone.
-
"You are an insolent young man, but I will tell you.
Fiction book (1994) -
When you were a child, and you were insolent, I had you punished.
-
The last comment implies that the Word of God can help in teaching children "not to be insolent."
Academic text (2001) -
You should have thought of that before you were so insolent, shouldn't you?
Fiction book (1990) -
Benson has grown unnaturally insolent of late.
-
Insolent young pup questioning my courage.
-
I think he's common, insolent, conceited, and completely double-faced.
-
Mama Chona ignored Eva's insolent ways because she had proved herself a good and dependable servant.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
594
1.0
Not polite or showing little respect for others
260
4.5
Behaving as if you are more important or better than other people
121
3.0
Not polite to someone, for example interrupting them
37
7.3
Showing no shame or respect for rules
21
2.3
Not showing good manners or respect to other people
14
8.1
Acting proud and looking down on other people
11
9.7
Being rude and acting like you are better than other people
9
7.9
Someone who shows no respect by acting or speaking boldly
8
7.2
Rude or too bold toward someone, sometimes playful
5
3.9
Rude and impolite in how someone talks or acts
5
7.4
Clearly not hidden and showing no shame
5
7.2
Bold and showy in a way people may find rude
1
8.2
A person, often a child, who is rude and acts as if better than others
1
9.2
Not showing good manners in public or formal places
1
6.9
Very bold and without shame, for example a lie told openly without hiding it
1
6.3
Not polite and often rude to others
1
8.0
Acting very proud and treating others as unimportant
1
7.6
Not taking things seriously and showing little respect
Being arrogantly rude and openly disrespectful to other people
Showing bad manners that make others uncomfortable
Showing no shame and acting very boldly
Antonyms
How Rude
Surface Forms
Morphology
insolent = in + solent
Although the form begins with the prefix 'in-', the following element 'solent' is not a recognizable modern English base, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from its apparent parts.
Etymology
The word insolent comes from the Latin parts in- 'not' and solere 'to be used to'. So, someone insolent is 'not used' to showing respect and therefore behaves in a rude or bold way.