7 Clever Shakespearean Insults to Add to Your Vocabulary ...

7 Clever Shakespearean Insults to Add to Your Vocabulary ...
By Holly • Jun 10, 2025

There are dozens of Shakespearean insults out there, which you can find in any of the great writer's plays. While you don't want to pick fights with friends in order to use these sayings, you can use them playfully. Just make sure that your friends realize that you're joking, so that you don't lose your BFF. Here are some of the best Shakespearean insults to try to throw out during your next conversation:

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1. As You like It

If you're sick of being friends with someone, say, "I do desire we may be better strangers." It lets them know that you'd rather have them out of your life than in it. They're doing nothing for you, so why would you want to associate with them? This is one of the Shakespearean insults that tells it like it is.

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As You Like It is a comedic play written by William Shakespeare, first performed in 1599. The play is set in the Forest of Arden, a magical place where many of the characters find true love. One of the most memorable quotes from the play is "I do desire we may be better strangers." This phrase is used as an insult to someone who no longer serves a purpose in one's life. It implies that it would be better if the person were a stranger than a friend. This quote is one of the many clever Shakespearean insults that can be used in everyday conversations.

2. Coriolanus

Instead of calling someone a baby, or saying that they’re childish, tell them that their, "abilities are too infant-like for doing much alone." It's a fancy way of saying that they're incapable of acting like an adult. They need help with every activity, because they aren't the least bit mature.

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3. Coriolanus - Part 2

"There is no more mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger." This insult is a little hard to incorporate into conversation, but you can replace the word 'mercy' with anything you'd like. Try substituting it for 'beauty' or 'kindness.' It'll still hold all of the power Shakespeare intended it to, but will have a slightly different meaning.

4. Henry VI

"Take her away; for she hath lived too long, to fill the world with vicious qualities." This is a clever way to say that someone is a bad person. They have horrible qualities that they should be punished for, and you're alerting everyone of the fact.

5. Henry VI - Part 2

"Teeth hadst thou in thy head when thou wast born, to signify thou camest to bite the world." This is an insult you don't hear too often, which is why everyone will remember hearing you say it. It's basically claiming that it was clear from their birth that they were going to be nothing but trouble to the world.

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6. Richard III

"Thou unfit for any place but hell." This is a line that you can use in plenty of different situations. Even if your friends aren't Shakespeare fans, they'll understand this quote. It's quite clear, so they won't have to look up its meaning in order to get your point.

7. Richard III - Part 2

Why stick to old, boring insults when you can use some classy Shakespeare sayings? Instead of calling someone ugly, all you have to say is, "Out of my sight! Thou dost infect my eyes." It's a more subtle way to say that you can't stand looking at them, whether it's due to their looks or their awful personality.

If you're going to jokingly insult your friends, you might as well do so in the cleverest way possible. Use these legendary Shakespeare quotes in order to put your pals in their place. What's your favorite play written by Shakespeare? What about your favorite quote? There are hundreds of them out there, so this list is only a small portion of the man's greatest writing.
Source: shakespeare-online.com

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

"Dreamers often lie" "In bed while they do dream things true" - my favorite part of Romeo and Juliet

i love this! 😂

I love you holly!! somehow randomly you started posting on Funny!!

Awesome

"Get thy face hence."---Macbeth

LOL!! I love your picture.

"I do desire we may be better strangers." This one I cant wait to try! lol

"Villain I have done thy mother" from Titus... Can't wait to try some of these

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