Dictionary.com

Word of the Day Archive
Tuesday October 19, 1999

contumely \kon-TYOO-muh-lee; -TOO-; KON-tyoo-mee-lee; -too-; KON-tum-lee\, noun:
1. Rudeness or rough treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence.
2. An instance of contemptuousness in act or speech.

Nothing aggravates tyranny so much as contumely.
-- Edmund Burke

The pedlars find satisfaction for all contumelies in making good bargains.
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks

Following years of police harassment and public contumely, he was arrested and charged with high treason, espionage and "anti-Soviet activity."
-- "Know Thyself, Free Thyself", New York Times, June 5, 1988

Contumely comes ultimately from Latin contumelia, outrage, insult.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for contumely

 

Share This:  Share This: del.icio.usShare This: digg.comShare This: FacebookShare This: furl.netShare This: www.netscape.comShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: www.google.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: blinklist.comShare This: newsvine.comShare This: ma.gnolia.comShare This: reddit.comShare This: favorites.live.com