insolent
/ˈɪn.sə.lənt/adjective, noun
insolent is spelled I-N-S-O-L-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, insolent means “Insulting in manner or words, particularly in an arrogant or insubordinate manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in insolent?
| Letters | 8: I-N-S-O-L-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is insolent?
Insolent appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce insolent?
- US /ˈɪn.sə.lənt/
Insolent has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-insolent.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of insolent
- more insolent comparative
- most insolent superlative
- insolents plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does insolent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Insulting in manner or words, particularly in an arrogant or insubordinate manner.
Near-synonyms: arrogant, bold, cocky; see also Thesaurus:cheeky
- 2
Rude.
Near-synonyms: insubordinate, offensive; see also Thesaurus:arrogant
noun
- 1
A person who is insolent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Insolent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | insolent |
| German | beleidigend, verletzend, schamlos , anmaßend, überheblich, frech |
| Portuguese | insolente |
| Spanish | insolente, achorado , procaz |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does insolent come from?
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin īnsolēns (“unaccustomed, unwanted, unusual, immoderate, excessive, arrogant, insolent”), from in- (privative prefix) + solēns, present participle of solēre (“to be accustomed, to be wont”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).