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I like to have a friendly debate, but a lot of time people just come up with nonsense arguments like "Yeah but I'm right because you are stupid.". They are meant to be insults, but is there a word for this type of argument?

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Such an attack is called an ad hominem. It is considered to be a fallacy.

From wikipedia:

Ad hominem (Latin for "to the man" or "to the person"), short for argumentum ad hominem, is where an argument is rebutted by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, or persons associated with the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.

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  • Hi @Scripter1000, quoting appropriate selections from your sources allows your answer to stand on its own. I've added one for you; feel free to edit further or to roll it back.
    – Lawrence
    Sep 29, 2017 at 12:04
  • But please check for duplicates. 'Ad hominem' has been given before. Sep 29, 2017 at 13:00

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