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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. The quality or condition of being insolent.
  2. n. An instance of insolent behavior, treatment, or speech.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. The quality of being rare; unusualness.
  2. n. Overbearing or defiant behavior; scornful or presumptuous treatment of others; insulting speech or conduct.
  3. n. An insolent act; an instance of insolent treatment; an insult.
  4. n. Synonyms Pride, Presumption, etc. (see arrogance); rudeness, abusive language or conduct, sneering.
  5. To treat with haughty contempt.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Arrogant conduct; insulting, bold behaviour or attitude.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. The quality of being unusual or novel.
  2. n. The quality of being insolent; pride or haughtiness manifested in contemptuous and overbearing treatment of others; arrogant contempt; brutal impudence.
  3. n. Insolent conduct or treatment; insult.
  4. v. To insult.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. an offensive disrespectful impudent act
  2. n. the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties

Examples

  • “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

  • “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

  • “Tostig is furious at what he terms the insolence of the Northumbrians, and”

    Wulf the Saxon A Story of the Norman Conquest

  • “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

  • “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

  • “Ivan IV. raved like a madman at what he called the insolence of his subjects, in complaining of their governor.”

    The Empire of Russia

  • “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

  • “What I desribe as insolence is what ERNurse puts in raw terms.”

    Sound Politics: Die Nanny State, Die

  • “But insolence is of two kinds, benignant and malignant, or sustained insolence and fatuous insolence.”

    The Fatuous Insolence of the Canadians

  • “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”

    London: Saturday, September 19, 1863

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‘insolence’ has been looked up 2068 times, loved by 3 people, added to 37 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 11.