Contumely

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑntjuməli/

Definitions of contumely

noun harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; an insulting display of contempt in words or actions; insolent or arrogant rudeness

Example Sentences

A1 She was shocked by the contumely of her classmates when they teased her.

A2 The contumely he faced from his boss made him reconsider his job.

B1 The politician was not used to such public contumely and struggled to respond gracefully.

B2 The author faced contumely from critics who disagreed with her controversial book.

C1 Despite the contumely directed towards him, he remained calm and composed.

C2 The contumely he endured throughout his career only fueled his determination to succeed.

Examples of contumely in a Sentence

formal The politician faced public contumely after being caught in a corruption scandal.

informal She couldn't handle the contumely from her classmates after the embarrassing incident.

slang He couldn't take the contumely from his friends and decided to confront them.

figurative The author's work was met with contumely from critics, but eventually gained recognition.

Grammatical Forms of contumely

• plural: contumelies
• comparative: more contumelious
• superlative: most contumelious
• present tense: contumelies
• future tense: will contumely
• perfect tense: have contumelied
• continuous tense: is contumeling
• singular: contumely
• positive degree: contumely
• infinitive: to contumely
• gerund: contumeling
• participle: contumelied

Origin and Evolution of contumely

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'contumely' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old French word 'contumelie' which came from the Latin word 'contumelia'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'contumely' has evolved to be used to describe insulting or abusive language or treatment towards someone, often with a sense of arrogance or scorn.