Disrespectful or scornfully abusive remarks or actions intended to hurt someone's feelings or dignity.
From Latin 'insultare', meaning 'to leap upon, assault', from 'in-' (upon) + 'saltare' (to leap). Originally referred to physical attacks, later extended to verbal attacks on dignity and character.
Insults reveal the strange human ability to weaponize language - we're probably the only species that can cause genuine pain with nothing but carefully arranged sounds. The art of the insult has evolved from crude name-calling to sophisticated wit, where the cleverest verbal duels become literature, like Shakespeare's elaborate takedowns.
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