contumelious

From Old French contumelieus, from Latin contumēliōsus (“insulting; abusive”), from contumēlia (“affront, abuse, insult”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒn.tjʊˈmiː.li.əs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑn.tʊˈmiː.li.əs/, /ˌkɑn.tjuˈmiː.li.əs/

contumelious (comparative more contumelious, superlative most contumelious)

1. (archaic, literary) Rudely contemptuous; showing contumely; exhibiting an insolent or disdainful attitude.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 100, column 1:

     VVith ſcoffes and ſcornes, and contumelious taunts, / In open Market-place produc't they me, / To be a publique ſpectacle to all: / Here, ſayd they, is the Terror of the French, / The Scar-Crovv that affrights our Children ſo.

   • a. 1699, William Bates, “The Danger of Prosperity”, in The Whole Works of the Rev. W. Bates, Volume 2, published 1815, page 262:

     To sin against his law, is an high affront to his majesty; but to sin against his love and benefits is more contumelious to him.

   • 1784, William Russell, The History of Modern Europe, in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to His Son, new edition, volume 5, published 1822, page 104:

     Such, and more contumelious, was the language of opposition in parliament, and of the pretended patriots in their private meetings, during the whole administration of sir Robert Walpole, who understood and pursued the true interests of his country, but, perhaps, without sufficiently attending to its honour.

   • 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, 1st American edition, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC:

     The pad would not stay on Modestine’s back for half a moment. I returned it to its maker, with whom I had so contumelious a passage that the street outside was crowded from wall to wall with gossips looking on and listening.

   • 1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 44:

     "How now, you scullions and cullions: bring hither a pair of cow's hooves to out face this contumelious caitiff."

• (rudely contemptuous): disdainful, insolent

• contumeliousness
• contumeliously
• contumely