Controversial
Controversial adjective - Relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions.
Insulting and controversial are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Insulting" instead an adjective "Controversial".
Insulting
Insulting adjective - Expressing extreme contempt.
Controversial and insulting are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Controversial" instead an adjective "Insulting".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Emma Watts is quite controversial, snappy, and insulting towards witnesses for the prosecution.
Source: Series / The Jury - In an interview regarding her novel Bridget Jones' Diary, Helen Fielding remarked upon the idea of a comic female protagonist being controversial for this reason, whereas no man ever took Bertie Wooster as an insulting stereotype of the entire male gender.
Source: Girls Need Role Models -
Montgomery's later unfortunate assertion that he had saved the Americans in the Battle of the Bulge was controversial to say the least, as it seemed to be insulting to the US Army, who had put in virtually all the blood, sweat and suffering, well at least in the early days.
Cite this Source
Insulting and Controversial. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/insulting
Controversial & Insulting. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/insulting>.
Insulting or Controversial. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/controversial/insulting.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "controversial" and "insulting" have occurred on timeline