contumelious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌkɑntuˈmiːliəs/ UK /ˌkɒntjʊˈmiːliəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
scornful and insulting; insolently abusive

His contumelious remarks about the staff caused an uproar.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · scornful and insulting;... insolent abusive scornful insulting contemptuous disdainful arrogant

Opposites

respectful courteous deferential civil

Word family

Forms contumeliously

Derived forms contumeliouslycontumeliousness

Related forms contumely contemn contempt

Etymology

From Latin contumeliosus ('reproachful, insolent'), from contumelia ('insult, reproach'), probably from contumere ('to swell with pride'), related to tumere ('to swell').

contumeliosus Latin tumere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# contumelious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌkɑntuˈmiːliəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒntjʊˈmiːliəs/

## Meanings
1. scornful and insulting; insolently abusive

## Examples
- His contumelious remarks about the staff caused an uproar.

## Synonyms
- insolent
- abusive
- scornful
- insulting
- contemptuous
- disdainful
- arrogant

## Antonyms
- respectful
- courteous
- deferential
- civil

## Derived Forms
- contumeliously
- contumeliousness

## Related Forms
- contumely
- contemn
- contempt

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contumeliosus
- Root: tumere

## Etymology
From Latin contumeliosus ('reproachful, insolent'), from contumelia ('insult, reproach'), probably from contumere ('to swell with pride'), related to tumere ('to swell').

## AI Etymology
Contumelious is an adjective meaning "scornful and insulting; insolently abusive". Historically, it is from Latin contumeliosus ('reproachful, insolent'), from contumelia ('insult, reproach'), probably from contumere ('to swell with pride'), related to tumere ('to swell'). The older history should therefore be treated cautiously rather than as settled. The historical chain links Latin contumeliosus with Latin tumere. Close English family members include contumeliously, contumeliousness, contumely, contemn, and contempt.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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