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
Relevance
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
The fourth episode depicts him as a negligent and emotionally abusive lover to Satan, further connecting him to the show’s previous portrayals of Saddam Hussein.
—
Nick Marx, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
This all in spite of Johanne’s best efforts to present Johanna in the most radiant of lights, a fact Johanna deems as abusive more than flattering.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to gain and maintain power and control over a victim.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The news follows Rudin’s announced return to theatrical producing, after a Hollywood Reporter investigation in 2021 had detailed multiple allegations of abusive behavior in claims from ex-staffers.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Nick Marx, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
This all in spite of Johanne’s best efforts to present Johanna in the most radiant of lights, a fact Johanna deems as abusive more than flattering.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used to gain and maintain power and control over a victim.
—Marni Rose McFall King, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The news follows Rudin’s announced return to theatrical producing, after a Hollywood Reporter investigation in 2021 had detailed multiple allegations of abusive behavior in claims from ex-staffers.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
-
Using those who serve in uniform as political props is insulting.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The whole thing feels redundant and borderline insulting.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Critics are waxing nostalgic for the edgy and outrageous comments of social critic humorists such as Dick Gregory, Mort Sahl, George Carlin, and Don Imus, forgetting that none of those figures were ever the host of a broadcast network TV show.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Notably, numerous high-profile cable news has-beens have legitimized Owens' outrageous laundering of a left-wing political assassination into an anti-Semitic caper.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Guests will enjoy the experience free from disruptive behavior, foul language, obscene gestures, fighting, unruly conduct or inconsiderate actions.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Other users called her obscene names, threatened to show up at her workplace, or sent her a photograph of guns.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Low, who has been in regular contact with NRC colleagues on the ground — most of them local staff — said civilians are being forced into impossible decisions as the offensive intensifies.—
Kaity Kline,
NPR,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Cal’s offensive staff includes two former Mountain West head coaches.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
If the vulnerability had been discovered by, or fallen into the hands of, malicious hackers, the fallout could have been devastating.—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the years intervening, the poem has remained a lodestar, a contravening presence when, in present day America’s vituperative political landscape, the humanities disciplines and higher education itself has been forced to invoke and defend its own authority.—
Elaine L. Wang
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Even the company’s most vituperative detractors acknowledge its engineering genius and applaud its success in driving down launch expenses (unlike many defense contractors, SpaceX largely eats the cost of its failures).—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
-
Players known for sometimes scurrilous behavior were scared off by that lifetime ban.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would escalate in the aftermath of the 31-year-old’s death.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Still, people are allowed to form their own opinions and have their own preferences — and that shouldn’t come with vitriolic attacks on social media.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share