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Definition of "contumely" [con•tu•me•ly]

  • Rudeness or contempt arising from arrogance; insolence. (noun)
  • An insolent or arrogant remark or act. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "contumely" in a sentence
  • "He wept for that which had befallen him, but kept his affair secret, so none of his foes might exult over him nor any of his friends be troubled, knowing that, if he disclosed his secret, it would bring him naught but dishonour and contumely from the folk; wherefore he said in him self,"
  • "The etymology of the word contumely is doubtful but I am of the opinion that the derivation suggested here is not unsound."
  • "That phrase was flung at them, I think, in contumely at one time, but, like many such phrases, it has been adopted."