Meaning & use
contumely
Insolent or scornful language and treatment intended to humiliate someone.
See it in a sentence
He bore the crowd's contumely in silence rather than respond to their insults.
The letter was filled with contumely aimed at anyone who disagreed with the king.
A note on using this word
Contumely is a rare, literary word for insulting treatment, famous from Hamlet's phrase 'the proud man's contumely,' with stress on the first syllable.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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