abusive

adjective

abu·sive | \ ə-ˈbyü-siv also -ziv

Definition of abusive

1a : using harsh, insulting language an angry and abusive crowd

b : harsh and insulting abusive language

c : using or involving physical violence or emotional cruelty abusive behavior an abusive husband an abusive relationship

2 : characterized by wrong or improper use or action especially : corrupt abusive financial practices

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Examples of abusive in a Sentence

The fans yelled abusive comments to the referee. protecting wives from abusive husbands

Recent Examples on the Web

People in abusive relationships often have a hard time trusting their inner voice. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "7 Helpful Things to Say to Someone in an Abusive Relationship—and 3 to Avoid," 23 May 2019 The play invites the audience to walk through a house where the cast enacts abusive relationships. — Beatrice Christofaro, Fox News, "Despite strong laws, domestic violence in Brazil is rampant," 21 Sep. 2018 And abusive relationships aren’t something to be taken lightly. — De Elizabeth, Allure, "Bachelor in Paradise," 29 Aug. 2018 Debate during the hearing centered on whether Fallis intentionally fired at officers, and how much her troubled childhood and history of abusive adult relationships contributed to her frame of mind. — Washington Post, "Woman gets prison for firing gun during pipeline protest," 11 July 2018 The Supreme Court said that state governments cannot be sued against their wishes in another state’s courts, overruling precedent to end a Nevada multimillionaire’s 21-year-old lawsuit alleging abusive conduct by California tax authorities. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "High Court Overturns Precedent in Ruling on State Sovereignty," 13 May 2019 That kind of stress might come from a traumatic or abusive situation, but your job, pressures at home, and other life stressors can build up without healthy coping mechanisms in place. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Why Are Heart Attacks Becoming More Common in Women Under Age 54?," 13 Feb. 2019 But in recent years, the permissiveness these policies has also created loopholes for those whose spread disinformation, incite hatred and violence, and post abusive and offensive content to the web. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "Twitter’s fear of making hard decisions is killing it," 17 Aug. 2018 Women are fighting because the old forms of power are harmful and abusive to us, to our families, to our workplaces, to our houses of worship, to our democracy, and to our planet. — Alicia Garza, Marie Claire, "Alicia Garza: Women Are the New Face of Power," 21 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abusive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.