Standard Lemma guide

contumely

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈkɒnt͡ʃuːməli/
  • UK: /ˈkɒntjuːməli/
  • UK, rare: /kɒnˈt͡ʃuːməli/
  • UK: /kɒnˈtjuːməli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Offensive and abusive language or behaviour; scorn, insult.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse
  • they yelled insults at the visiting team

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abuse, insult, revilement, vilification

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disrespect, discourtesy

Narrower terms: low blow, scurrility, billingsgate, stinger, cut, vituperation, invective, vitriol

History

Etymology

From Old French contumelie, from Latin contumēlia (“insult”), perhaps from com- + tumeō (“swell”).

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անարգանք (anargankʻ) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Bulgarian: оби́да (obída) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Bulgarian: оскърбле́ние (oskǎrblénie) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Chinese Mandarin: 侮辱 — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Chinese Mandarin: 无礼 (wúlǐ) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傲慢 (àomàn) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Dutch: spot — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Dutch: hoon — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Dutch: belediging — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Dutch: grove taal — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Faroese: háðan — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Faroese: frekleiki — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Irish: tarcaisne — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Italian: contumelia — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Old English: edwit — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Polish: obelga — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Polish: zniewaga — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Portuguese: insulto — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Portuguese: contumélia — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Portuguese: insolência — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Russian: оскорбле́ние (oskorblénije) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Russian: де́рзость (dérzostʹ) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Spanish: injuria — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Spanish: ofensa — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Spanish: contumelia — offensive and abusive language or behaviour
  • Ukrainian: обра́за (obráza) — offensive and abusive language or behaviour