Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- To treat with haughty contempt.
- noun The quality of being rare; unusualness.
- noun Overbearing or defiant behavior; scornful or presumptuous treatment of others; insulting speech or conduct.
- noun An insolent act; an instance of insolent treatment; an insult.
- noun Synonyms Pride, Presumption, etc. (see
arrogance ); rudeness, abusive language or conduct, sneering.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To insult.
- noun obsolete The quality of being unusual or novel.
- noun The quality of being insolent; pride or haughtiness manifested in contemptuous and overbearing treatment of others; arrogant contempt; brutal impudence.
- noun Insolent conduct or treatment; insult.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Arrogant conduct;insulting ,bold behaviour or attitude. - verb obsolete To
insult .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an offensive disrespectful impudent act
- noun the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Whether or not you're going to 'suffer' what you call my insolence, I don't know, and I don't much care.
The Bronze Bell Louis Joseph Vance 1906
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The populace resented what they called the insolence and the treachery of France and the French ambassador was pelted at Canterbury as he drove to the seacoast on his recall.
Washington and His Comrades in Arms; a chronicle of the War of Independence George McKinnon Wrong 1904
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Tostig is furious at what he terms the insolence of the Northumbrians, and
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Antiochus was furious alike at what he termed the insolence of a handful of outlaws, and the cowardice of his picked troops, who had flaunted their banners and gone forth as if to assured victory, and had then fled like some gay-plumed bird before the swoop of the eagle.
Hebrew Heroes A Tale Founded on Jewish History 1821-1893 A. L. O. E. 1857
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When the captain returned, he became so much enraged by her representations, that he not only reprimanded the youngster severely for what he termed his insolence, but so far forgot himself as to give him a blow.
The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth Osler, Edward, 1798-1863 1854
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Ivan IV. raved like a madman at what he called the insolence of his subjects, in complaining of their governor.
The Empire of Russia 1841
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Easily fired at the idea of any injustice, and eager to redress the grievances of _the poor, _ Forester immediately concerted with these boys a scheme to deliver them from what he called the insolence of the dancing-master, and promised that he would compel him to go round by another street.
Tales and Novels — Volume 01 Maria Edgeworth 1808
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What I desribe as insolence is what ERNurse puts in raw terms.
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But insolence is of two kinds, benignant and malignant, or sustained insolence and fatuous insolence.
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Burnside, at Cincinnati, have rivalled in insolence, brutality, and lawlessness any Dey of Algiers or Pacha of Asia Minor that was ever appointed by the most ruthless Sultan that ever reigned in
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