contumelious adjective con·tu·me·li·ous | \ ˌkän-tü-ˈmē-lē-əs , -tyü-ˈmē-, -chə-ˈmē- \ Definition of contumelious : insolently abusive and humiliating abusive, invective, opprobrious, scurrile (or scurril), scurrilous, truculent, vitriolic, vituperative, vituperatory Examples of contumelious in a Sentence a well-reasoned thesis that merited more than just a scornful, contumelious response First Known Use of contumelious 15th century, in the meaning defined above