insultar
“insultar” means “to insult” in Spanish (to say offensive things to someone).
to insult
Also: to offend, to revile
📝 In Action
No es necesario insultar para tener razón.
A1It is not necessary to insult to be right.
Él me insultó delante de todos mis amigos.
A2He insulted me in front of all my friends.
Sus palabras insultan la inteligencia de los ciudadanos.
B2His words insult the intelligence of the citizens.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: insultar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'They insulted us'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin verb 'insultare', which originally meant 'to jump or leap upon'. It eventually shifted from a physical attack to a verbal one.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'insultar' and 'ofender'?
'Insultar' is usually more specific and verbal (calling names), while 'ofender' is broader and can include actions or behaviors that hurt someone's feelings without words.
Is 'insultar' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs that end in -ar.
Can I use 'insultar' with objects?
Usually, you insult people, but you can use it figuratively with things like 'insultar la inteligencia' or 'insultar la memoria de alguien'.