malaparola

Italian

Alternative forms

• mala parola

Etymology

From malo (“bad”) +‎ parola (“word”).

Noun

malaparola f (plural maleparole)

1. nasty comment; insult

   Synonyms: ingiuria, contumelia, insulto

   • 2011, Elina Ferrante, chapter 5, in L'amica geniale [My Brilliant Friend], Edizioni E/O:

     Così, di dispetto in dispetto, le due donne cominciarono a prendersi a male parole se solo si incrociavano per strada o per le scale, suoni duri, feroci.

     And so, from one act of spite to another, the two women began to insult each other if even they crossed each other on the street or by the stairs; hard, ferocious sounds.

     (literally, “... the two women began to give insults to each other....”)