insolence

/ˈɪn.sə.ləns/

insolence noun: contemptible, ill-mannered conduct; insulting: arrogant, bold behaviour or attitude.

Noun

insolence (countable and uncountable, plural insolences)

Contemptible, ill-mannered conduct; insulting: arrogant, bold behaviour or attitude.
- all the insolence of imaginary superiority1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 14, in Emma: […], volume III, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC
- There she was, doing rude things, and saying ruder, which every body bore with the best grace in the world: then, as now, it was perfectly astonishing what people in general will submit to in the way of insolence, provided the said insolence be attended by rank and riches.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Chapter XVIII. The Fête.”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 133
Insolent conduct or treatment; insult.
- Two heavy iron chains were put about his neck, (in metal and weight different from them he bore before!) and, loaded with fetters and insolences from the soldiers, (who in such ware seldom give scant measure,) he was brought into the presence of Isaacius.1652, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State, and the Profane State, page 442
(obsolete) The quality of being unusual or novel.
- Her great excellence / Lifts me above the measure of my might / That being fild with furious insolence / I feele my selfe like one yrapt in spright.1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “Colin Clouts Come Home Againe”, in Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

insolence (third-person singular simple present insolences, present participle insolencing, simple past and past participle insolenced)

(obsolete) To insult.
- ...we are bound to assert that we never heard either in his public discourses or private conversation, anything that might tend towards encouraging sedition, or anyways insolencing the government1851, Church Wardens of Burlington, “The Church Wardens &c. of Burlington to the Honourable Society. Burlington, 28th, 1715”, in Collections of the Protestant Episcopal Historical Society, volume 1...
- bishops, who were first foully insolenced and assaulted.1648, attributed to Charles I of England, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική [Eikōn Basilikē = Royal Portrait]. The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Maiestie, in His Solitvdes and Svfferings

arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude: ढिठाई ḍhiṭhāī, अविनय avinay

துடுக்கு, செருக்கு

بےادبی, گستاخی, شوخی

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But her supreme insolence found him words, and he too burst forth.1905, E. M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread, chapter 2
They are fond of fun and therefore witty, wit being well-bred insolence.c. 1908–52, W.D. Ross, transl., The Works of Aristotle, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Rhetoric, II.1389b11, by Aristotle, →OCLC...

Noun
plural	insolences
Verb
third-person singular present	insolences
present participle	insolencing
past participle	insolenced
past	insolenced

From Middle French insolence, from Latin īnsolentia.

What does insolence mean?: Insolence means contemptible, ill-mannered conduct; insulting: arrogant, bold behaviour or attitude.
What is insolence in Hindi?: Insolence in Hindi is ढिठाई (ḍhiṭhāī), अविनय (avinay). See Insolence meaning in Hindi.
How do you use insolence in a sentence?: But her supreme insolence found him words, and he too burst forth.
What part of speech is insolence?: Insolence can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce insolence?: Insolence is pronounced /ˈɪn.sə.ləns/.
What is the plural of insolence?: The plural of insolence is insolences.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-insolence.wav.

Cite this entry: “insolence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/insolence. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.