Medieval Insults to Call Your Friends
Bespawler Someone who spits when they talk (adjective, noun)
Bobolyne A foolish person (noun) Fun fact: This insult is known to have been used in the mid-1500s.
Churl Coarse, rustic, and peasant-like (noun) Origin: This insult comes from the Old English word ceorl, which meant “one level above a slave.”
Coxcomb A vain and narcissistic person; a man who is too proud of his appearance (noun) Example: “I am of another opinion: the greater the coxcomb, always the more the scandal” (William Congreve, The Way of the World, 1700).
Cuckold A promiscuous or unfaithful person (noun) Origin: This insult’s meaning is rooted in the cuckoo bird, which was known for its habit of laying eggs in other birds’ nests.
Cumber-world A useless person or thing (noun) Example: “A cumber-world, yet in the world am left, A fruitles plot, with brambles ouergrowne…” (Michael Drayton, Idea the Shepheards Garland, 1593).
Cur A person who is thought to be worthless and cowardly (noun) Fun fact: Cur roughly translates to “dog,” and became a popular insult during the 13th century.
Dalcop An unintelligent or foolish person (noun)
Dastard Someone cowardly and uncourageous (noun) Fun fact: This insult is believed to have been first used in the 15th century.
Doxy A promiscuous or unchaste woman; a woman who engages in sexual activities for money (noun) Origin: This insult may stem from the Dutch word docke, which means “doll.”
Driggle-draggle A messy or unclean woman (noun) Fun fact: Today, draggle means “to make something dirty or wet.”
Driveller A person who talks a lot about nothing (noun) Fun fact: The earliest evidence of this insult comes from the writings of scholar John Palsgrave in 1530.
Fopdoodle A silly or idiotic person; a person of little significance (noun) Example: “Where sturdy butchers broke your noodle, / And handled you like a fop-doodle” (Samuel Butler, “Hudibras,” 1664)
Fustilugs A slob or a clumsy person, particularly a woman (noun) Example: “…especially your Ale-wives, who, like the Germane Froas, are all cheekes to the belly, and all belly to the knees, whose dugs and chins meete without any forceing of either, because you may dayly see such fustilugs walking in the streets” (Richard Younge, The Drunkard’s Character, 1638).
Hag An unattractive or old woman (noun) Origin: This insult derives from the Middle English word hagge, which means “an ugly old woman; witch.”
Knave A dishonest man (noun) Origin: This insult comes from the Old English word cnafa, which meant “boy.”
Mandrake Mymmerkin A puppet or little man; someone childlike (noun) Fun fact: This insult originated from the 16th-century poem “The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy” by William Dunbar.
Muckspout An overly talkative person; someone who curses (noun) Fun fact: Today, this insult would be used to describe someone with a “smutty mentality.”
Mumblecrust A toothless beggar (noun) Fun fact: The earliest known use of this insult comes from the writing of Nicholas Udall, a schoolmaster and playwright, in 1556.
Puterelle A woman with a bad reputation (noun) Fun fact: Putarelle is also a bean sprout used to make Roman appetizers.
Raggabrash A disorganized person (noun) Fun fact: Today, words like ragamuffin and riffraff are used in place of this insult.
Rakefire Someone who outstays their welcome (noun)
Ronyon An old woman; mangy creature (noun) Example: “Aroint thee, witch! The rump-fed ronyon cries” (William Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1623).
Saddle-goose A very unintelligent person; an idiot; a fool (noun) Origin: This insult became popular in the 19th century as a way to say someone would be so foolish as to think they could put a saddle on a goose.
Scobberlotcher A lazy person; a harmless or idle person (noun) Origin: “-lotcher” comes from loiter, which means “to hang around aimlessly.”
Scold A woman who uses abusive or crude language; a woman with a vicious tongue (noun) Origin: This insult comes from the Old Norse word skald, which means “poet.”
Shrew A mouse-like or shy creature; a wicked or evil man (noun) Example: “Your husband being troubled with a shrew. Measures my husband’s sorrow by his woe. And now you know my meaning” (William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, 1594).
Skamelar A scrounge, freeloader, or a parasite (noun) Example: “Ignorant elf, aip, owll irregular, Skaldit skaitbird and commoun skamelar” (The Owl and the Nightingale, 12th or 13th century).
Snoutband Someone who interrupts conversation; someone who always has to be right (noun)
Sot A drunk person; someone who drinks too much alcohol (noun) Fun fact: The first record of this insult dates back before the year 1000.
Stampcrab A clumsy person; someone heavy footed (noun)
Trencherman Someone who overeats and attends social events just for the food (noun) Example: “One way or another, the ensemble is a trencherman’s feast” (Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 2022).
Turd A pig-like or waste of a person; someone unpleasant (noun) Fun fact: Usage of this insult dates back to the year 1000, where it was used to describe the feces of a pig.
Wandought A weak man; a silly, sluggish, worthless man (noun) Fun fact: The earliest evidence of this insult is from 1726 in the writings of W. Starrat.
Whiffle-whaffle Someone indecisive; someone who wastes time (noun) Fun fact: This insult first appeared in the 16th century.
Yaldson The son of a prostitute (noun) Fun fact: This medieval insult is also used within fantasy writing and worldbuilding today as a demeaning term for magical beings, specifically Elves.Looking for even more fun medieval insults? Check out our “Ultimate List of Funny Shakespearean Insults.”
Medieval Insults to Describe Something
Atomy Tiny being; mite (adjective)
Bawdy Indecent, lewd, or obscene (adjective)
Beef-witted Thick-witted or brainless (adjective) Example: “The plague of Greece upon thee, thou mongrel beef-witted lord!” (William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, 1609).
Boil-brained Hot-headed or headstrong (adjective)
Churlish Rude, blunt; voilent, harsh (adjective) Example: “She loves me sure; the cunning of her passion invites me in this churlish messenger” (William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 1602).
Cockered Spoiled, indulged, or pampered (adjective) Fun fact: The earliest known use of this descriptive word comes from the writings of Sir Philip Sidney in 1586.
Gorbellied Having a round or large belly (adjective) Example: “Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs: I would your store were here!” (William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I, 1600)
Hedge-born An illegitimate child; a low or mean birth (adjective) Example: “Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain / That doth presume to boast of gentle blood” (William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I, 1592)
Paunchy Having a potbelly (adjective) Fun fact: Today, “beer-bellied” and “pot-bellied” are synonyms of this insult.
Wayward Selfish; being difficult to control; disobedient (adjective) Fun fact: This insult was also spoken and written as awayward in Middle English.
Create Your Own Medieval Insult
Combine words from columns 1 & 2 to create your own medieval insult. What makes medieval insults so amazing? They’re 100% customizable! Take a look at the chart above. Pick a favorite word from columns one and two. Now, combine these words to create one funny and barbaric insult. For example, say someone’s a “wayward knave” if they’re a selfish and dishonest person. As another example, you could call someone a “gorbellied hag” if they’re old and round. Want to know what your insult means? Refer to the list of definitions above to learn the meanings of each insulting word! Warning: Remember, these insults are just for fun! Never bully and avoid calling someone names out of spite or cruelness.}}
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