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Insult vs Threat - What's the difference?

insult | threat |

As verbs the difference between insult and threat

is that insult is (obsolete|intransitive) to behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (over, against) while threat is (label) to press; urge; compel.

As nouns the difference between insult and threat

is that insult is an action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude while threat is an expression of intent to injure or punish another.

insult

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (obsolete) To behave in an obnoxious and superior manner (over, against).
  • *, II.3.3:
  • thou hast lost all, poor thou art, dejected, in pain of body, grief of mind, thine enemies insult over thee, thou art as bad as Job […].
  • To offend (someone) by being rude, insensitive or insolent; to demean or affront (someone).
  • (obsolete) To leap or trample upon; to make a sudden onset upon.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * (to offend) abuse, affront, offend, slight * See also

    Antonyms

    *compliment

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An action or form of speech deliberately intended to be rude.
  • * Savage
  • the ruthless sneer that insult adds to grief
  • * 1987 , Jamie Lee Curtis, A Fish Called Wanda :
  • To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people!
  • Anything that causes offence/offense, e.g. by being of an unacceptable quality.
  • The way the orchestra performed tonight was an insult to my ears.
  • (medicine) Something causing disease or injury to the body or bodily processes.
  • * 2006 , Stephen G. Lomber, Jos J. Eggermont, Reprogramming the Cerebral Cortex (page 415)
  • * 2011 , Terence Allen and Graham Cowling, The Cell: A Very Short Introduction , Oxford 2011, p. 96:
  • Within the complex genome of most organisms there are alternative multiple pathways of proteins which can help the individual cell survive a variety of insults , for example radiation, toxic chemicals, heat, excessive or reduced oxygen.
  • (obsolete) The act of leaping on; onset; attack.
  • (Dryden)

    Synonyms

    * (deliberatedly intended to be rude) abuse (uncountable), affront, offence (UK)/offense (US), pejorative, slam, slight, slur * (thing causing offence by being of unacceptable quality) disgrace, outrage * See also

    Antonyms

    *compliment

    Anagrams

    * * English heteronyms

    threat

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), (m), (m), .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An expression of intent to injure or punish another.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats .
  • An indication of imminent danger.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
  • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.}}
  • A person or object that is regarded as a danger; a menace.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 2, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC
  • , title= Bulgaria 0-3 England , passage=Rooney's United team-mate Chris Smalling was given his debut at right-back and was able to adjust to the international stage in relatively relaxed fashion as Bulgaria barely posed a threat of any consequence.}}

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (label) To press; urge; compel.
  • (archaic) To threaten.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.vii:
  • An hideous Geant horrible and hye, / That with his talnesse seemd to threat the skye
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 37:
  • O yes, and soundless too; / For you have stolen their buzzing, Antony, / And very wisely threat before you sting.
  • (label) To use threats; act or speak menacingly; threaten.