Abusive

/əˈbjuː.sɪv/ · adjective

Meaning

Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous..

Definitions by Sense

1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous.
2. (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent.
3. (archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse.
4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
5. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal.
6. (archaic) Catachrestic.

Example Sentences

All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me.

an abusive treaty

[…] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.

the abusive prerogatives of his see

I am […]necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.

Synonyms for abusive

Antonyms for abusive

Related Words

Word Forms

• more abusive
• most abusive

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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