abusive

adjective

ə-ˈbyü-siv How to pronounce abusive (audio)
Definition of abusivenext
as in insulting
marked by harsh insulting language never one to believe that honorable people can disagree honorably, he invariably launches abusive attacks against anyone who dares to challenge him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abusive Key Background Emily Moreno has accused Miller of a pattern of physically and verbally abusive behavior, including throwing scalding water on her, shoving her and holding a gun to her head. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Legal fight dates back to 2021 The dispute between Grisham and Miller began in 2021 after Grisham wrote a Washington Post op-ed describing an abusive relationship with an unnamed man. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 Attorneys representing Emmanuel Haro's 3-year-old claimed Riverside County failed to protect the children from their abusive parents, ultimately leading to the 7-month-old's death last year. — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Her attorneys have alleged that Obumseli was abusive and argued that Clenney was a battered partner. — Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
  1. insulting
  2. outrageous
  3. obscene
  4. vituperative
  5. malicious
  6. offensive
  7. scurrilous
  8. vitriolic
Adjective
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • This struck Stevens and her allies as immature, insulting, and more than a little sexist.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • Murphy’s thrives on emotional extremes and outrageous plot twists.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And there’s plenty more moving yet outrageous craziness to come.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • Climate Pledge Arena prohibits abusive or obscene language and says violators may be ejected.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • These stories were reprinted in Scottish and English botanical texts, and Henrietta would have known about the obscene ideas connected with the mushroom.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
  • The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026
Definition of vituperative
Adjective
  • This will likely not be the last time US courts see the malicious tactic, as AI tools become more commonplace in court systems.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • After all, an agent could accept a URL and download a malicious package without its human user even knowing.
    — David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • The anniversary coincided with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ’s government revising the country's defense policy to further bolster the military's offensive capability.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Tunsil suffered the injury early in practice, during one-on-ones between offensive and defensive linemen.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of offensive
Adjective
  • Tom Hanks played McCoy, Melanie Griffith played his mistress, and Bruce Willis played a scurrilous journalist in the center of it all.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
  • And in return for all that scurrilous effort, not a single banning.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Definition of scurrilous
Adjective
  • The comments under Miller’s social media posts grew startlingly vitriolic.
    — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Steve, some of the most vitriolic and toxic letters have come from you.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026
Definition of vitriolic

Browse Nearby Words

abusing
abusive
abusively
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Cite this Entry

“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of abusive for Spanish Speakers

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