English → Latin
“insult” in Latin
contumēliainsult, reproach, contumely, abuse, mistreatment; affront, invective; humiliation, injury; assault, violenceoffēnsiōoffense, offence; accident, misfortune, mishapiniūriainjury, wronging, offense, insult, wrong; injustice, wrongdoing; damage, harm, hurt, injuryopprobriumreproach, taunt; scandal, disgrace, dishonour, shameignōminiadishonour, disgrace, degradation, ignominy, shameiniungōto join or fasten, unite; to charge, impose (a burden); to enjoin or chargeoffendōto hit, thrust, strike against something; to meet, encounter (someone); to suffer damage, receive an injury
The English word insult itself goes back to Latin saliō, through īnsultō.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
insult s.
contumelia (a wrong done to one’s honor): offensio (a state of mortified feeling; but also the act that causes it): injuria (an insult felt to be a wrong): opprobrium (insult conveyed by reproachful words). To look upon anything as an insult, aliquid in or ad contumeliam accipere; ignominiae loco ferre aliquid; ignominiae or probro habere aliquid. To put an insult upon anybody, contumeliam alicui imponere; aliquem ignominia afficere; ignominiam alicui imponere or injungere: to have an insult put upon one, ignominia affici; contumelia affici.
insult v.
contumeliam alicui imponere: aliquem contumelia insequi: contumeliis insectari: maledictis vexare (to insult with insolent words): sugillare (insult scornfully, contemptuously): offendere aliquem (to insult, displease, whether intentionally or not): aliquem ignominia afficere: ignominiam alicui imponere, injungere (of gross insults, causing public disgrace). To be insulted, ignominia or contumelia affici; offendi (to feel insulted). To insult with words, verbis or voce vulnerare, violare: contumeliam alicui dicere: to feel insulted, injuriam sibi factam putare; at anything, aliquid in or ad contumeliam accipere; *aliqua re se laesum or violatum putare.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for insult?
- The usual Latin words for “insult” are contumēlia, offēnsiō, iniūria; also opprobrium, ignōminia, iniungō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.