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 On average, a victim will leave an abusive partner seven to 10 times before they are done for good, Brown said. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Livia’s sister-in-law invokes the poem when Livia learns, to her surprise, that her manipulative, abusive mother had been a frustrated musician. — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 Too $hort also expressed his hope that Combs’ time behind bars could rehabilitate him from his abusive ways while attributing his own backlash as an educational experience. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Decades later, in her 2026 memoir, Rinna opened up about her relationship with Kelker-Kelly, accusing him of being verbally abusive and manipulative toward her during their time working together, People reported. — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 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
  • Some job seekers say AI interviews can feel impersonal, stilted, and downright insulting.
    — Sarah Jackson Juhohn Lee, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Even more insulting was the cold, transactional nature of the intrusion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of insulting
Adjective
  • In their world — virtual newsrooms, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram and sports blogs — saying that men and women possess meaningful biological differences can qualify as an outrageous offense.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • More than half a century after the film’s release, the scene is back in all its outrageous glory.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of outrageous
Adjective
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The public must contend head-on with a collapsing currency and runaway inflation, and to ordinary Iranians, describing the present situation as sustainable would sound almost obscene.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 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
  • Strong antivirus software can help protect against malicious links, phishing sites and malware that may appear alongside these scams.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Tech companies are playing whack-a-mole around the world as their models get up to more hijinks and are used for malicious purposes.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • James, who had been the third offensive option on the Lakers when everyone was healthy, with Austin Reaves playing well on that side of the court, had to find a different gear in the playoffs with Dončić out.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Later on, in the fourth quarter, after an errant pass was batted upward and, eventually, into the hands of an offensive lineman, Kelce, ever the ambassador for his undersung position, was full of primal delight.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 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
  • While sometimes vitriolic discussions about the gargantuan structures have accompanied increasingly unavoidable AI conversations, data centers themselves have been around since the 1940s.
    — Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The comments under Miller’s social media posts grew startlingly vitriolic.
    — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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