All words

insolent

Meaning

Showing a lack of respect; boldly rude or offensive in manner or speech.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

Julia sat at her desk while the new student spoke to the teacher in an insolent way, raising his voice and rolling his eyes. He ignored every instruction, acting as if he was better than anyone else in the room. Everyone felt uncomfortable watching him.

He was always rude, his words sharp and dismissive. When the teacher asked him to be quiet, his response was so insolent, so filled with contempt, that the whole class fell silent, shocked by his disrespect.

The new intern rolled his eyes and spoke over his manager during the meeting, his tone dripping with disrespect. His insolent attitude made everyone uncomfortable, and the senior staff exchanged knowing glances, recognizing that his behavior would not be tolerated in their professional environment.

At dinner, Aunt Mabel asked Timmy to pass the potatoes, but Timmy, with an insolent grin, replied, “Get them yourself, old lady!” His overbearing rudeness shocked everyone, and even the dog dropped his bone. Grandpa almost spit out his dentures from laughing so hard.

Barnaby, a squirrel with a fluffy tail and an equally fluffy ego, puffed out his chest. When the pigeon asked for a crumb, Barnaby chattered back, "Find your own nuts, feather-face!" His bossy and insulting words were so overbearing, the pigeon just blinked, utterly stunned by the squirrel's insolent reply.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The teacher scolded the student for his insolent behavior in class, reminding him to show respect to his classmates and authority figures.

The old house creaked and groaned as the wind howled outside, sending shivers down Sarah's spine. She had always been afraid of the dark, but tonight was different. The shadows seemed to dance and taunt her, whispering insolent words that made her skin crawl. Goosebumps prickled her arms as she heard a voice, low and menacing, calling her name. She tried to run, but her feet felt like lead. The air grew heavy with a sickening smell, and she knew she was not alone in the haunted house. The insolent presence closed in, ready to claim its next victim.

With a guttural snarl, the creature slithered towards her, its eyes blazing with an insolent malice. Its forked tongue flickered as it hissed, its tone dripping with venomous contempt. The stench of decay hung heavy in the air, a nauseating reminder of the horror that lay before her. The creature's grotesque form was twisted and deformed, a mockery of life, and its voice echoed through the desolate chamber like a chilling death knell.

The dragon's red eyes glared at the knight, its voice dripping with insolent arrogance as it taunted, "You think you can defeat me? You are nothing but a mere human, weak and insignificant." The knight's sword shook in his hand, his jaw clenched in anger at the dragon's disrespectful words. With a determined look, he raised his weapon and charged forward, ready to prove the beast wrong. The dragon's laughter echoed through the cavern, but the knight remained undeterred, fueled by the fire of his own determination and the desire to silence the insolent creature once and for all.

"Halt, insolent boy!" thundered the captain. His voice echoed through the silent forest, startling the young villager. The boy's body trembled as he stood frozen, his eyes wide with fear. Never had he been addressed with such disdain before. The captain's words cut him like a blade, making him feel small and insignificant.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

When the manager asked for help, Brian replied with an insolent laugh and turned away, ignoring everyone. His insultingly contemptuous attitude shocked the team, making it clear he had no respect for authority or his coworkers, and left the room in an uncomfortable silence.

He slammed his fist on the counter, an insolent smirk on his face. "You think you can tell me what to do?" he sneered, his tone dripping with an overbearing contempt that made the cashier shrink back.

The new intern rolled his eyes and spoke with such an insolent tone that his supervisor immediately bristled. His dismissive shrug and arrogant mumbling made it clear he thought himself far more important than his entry-level position warranted.

During the town hall meeting, Mrs. Blakely’s cat, Sir Whiskers, strutted onto the podium and unleashed an insolent yowl, clearly dismissing the mayor’s authority with one contemptuous flick of his tail. No resident—human or feline—had ever witnessed such overbearing feline defiance before.

The parrot, Percy, was a remarkably intelligent bird, but his behavior often bordered on the insufferable. When asked to fetch a cracker, he'd frequently respond with an insolent squawk, mimicking his owner's scolding tone, implying the request was beneath his avian dignity.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

During the meeting, Mark’s insolent comments left everyone silent. He dismissed his coworkers’ ideas with a sneer and interrupted the manager repeatedly, behaving as if their opinions were beneath him. His conduct was so overbearing that people avoided eye contact, embarrassed for him and themselves.

The boy's insolent glare met the teacher's, his mumbled defiance laced with utter disdain. He refused to acknowledge her authority, his posture practically daring her to reprimand his impertinent behavior.

The new intern's insolent attitude quickly alienated her colleagues. She interrupted senior managers, rolled her eyes during meetings, and spoke with a dismissive tone that suggested she knew far more than anyone else in the room. Her condescension was impossible to ignore.

During dinner, Aunt Gertrude unleashed an insolent tirade, deriding my culinary prowess as "culinary vandalism with a side of burnt despair." Her overbearing, insultingly contemptuous remarks left even the family cat aghast, reconsidering its standards and, perhaps, plotting revenge in the salad bowl.

The butler, with a truly insolent smirk, delivered the butler's tea to the Duke, announcing, "Your Earl Grey, your Grace, the beverage you've been languishing for." The Duke, unaccustomed to such overbearing impudence, sputtered his monocle into his cucumber sandwich.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Appears in

Play word games with insolent Take the 2 minute vocabulary size test