To insult someone means to say or do something deliberately rude or disrespectful that hurts their feelings or damages their dignity. An insult is meant to make someone feel bad about themselves, whether it's mocking how they look, belittling their abilities, or attacking their character.

Insults come in many forms. A direct insult might be calling someone stupid or making fun of their appearance. A subtler insult might be a backhanded compliment, like saying, “You're pretty smart for someone who doesn't study much.” Some insults disguise themselves as jokes, though the person targeted usually knows the difference between genuine teasing among friends and words meant to sting.

The word can also describe an offense to something beyond a person. You might hear that a terrible performance was “an insult to the audience” or that a sloppy repair job was “an insult to good craftsmanship.” This means something is so poor or careless that it shows disrespect.

When someone insults you, responding with calm dignity often works better than insulting them back. Trading insults rarely makes anything better and usually makes both people feel worse. Understanding the difference between constructive criticism (which helps you improve) and an insult (which just tears you down) helps you know which feedback deserves your attention.