Impertinent vs Insulting - What's the difference?
impertinent | insulting | Synonyms |
insolent, ill-mannered
* Tillotson
* Jeremy Taylor
irrelevant (opposite of pertinent)
An impertinent individual.
* (Maria Edgeworth)
Containing insult, or having the intention of insulting.
The act of giving insult.
* (Isaac Barrow)
Impertinent is a synonym of insulting.
As adjectives the difference between impertinent and insulting
is that impertinent is insolent, ill-mannered while insulting is containing insult, or having the intention of insulting.As nouns the difference between impertinent and insulting
is that impertinent is an impertinent individual while insulting is the act of giving insult.As a verb insulting is
.impertinent
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- things that are impertinent to us
- How impertinent that grief was which served no end!
Usage notes
Although, historically, definition 2 was the original (derived from the French below) usage; meaning gradually changed to definition 1. More recently general usage has come to, once again, incorporate definition 2. As many older speakers will consider definition 2 incorrect, avoiding the word altogether may be advisable. The construction "not pertinent" is one possible alternative.Synonyms
* See alsoNoun
(en noun)- comfortably recessed from curious impertinents
insulting
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- He received an insulting letter.
Derived terms
* insultinglyVerb
(head)Noun
(en noun)- grievous reproaches, and scornful insultings over him in his affliction