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
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Recent Examples of abusive
Cal is the strict, overbearing, abusive father of Jacob Elordi’s high school quarterback Nate and the overarching antagonist of the hit series.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025
The film, which premieres on the network on Friday, April 12, follows the story of Monique Smith who was raised in West Baltimore and endured an abusive childhood before finding out that her abusive family wasn't her family at all.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
After escaping the abusive clutches of an Indian assimilation boarding school in season one, Teonna, who is of Crow descent, was hunted by the headmaster, Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché), for the majority of season two.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
The group of former Northwestern football players have reportedly agreed to settle their lawsuits against the school, which alleged hazing and abusive behavior.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025
The film, which premieres on the network on Friday, April 12, follows the story of Monique Smith who was raised in West Baltimore and endured an abusive childhood before finding out that her abusive family wasn't her family at all.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025
After escaping the abusive clutches of an Indian assimilation boarding school in season one, Teonna, who is of Crow descent, was hunted by the headmaster, Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché), for the majority of season two.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2025
The group of former Northwestern football players have reportedly agreed to settle their lawsuits against the school, which alleged hazing and abusive behavior.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
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But in March, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma, Wash., ruled for several long-serving transgender military members who say that the ban is insulting and discriminatory and that their firing would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations.—
Mark Sherman,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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But to suggest that the declining birth rate is largely a function of people not knowing how their bodies work is both insulting and ignorant of the real issue.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Waters’ career has been defined by his fearless — often outrageous — approach to spotlighting LGBTQ+ actors and themes.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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Amending the Constitution would not happen overnight, but starting the process would most definitely put the spotlight on Trump and the outrageous historical precedents set by those who came before him, which have helped to make our current national crisis not only possible but perhaps inevitable.—
Patrick Eddington,
Oc Register,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This social justice kitsch becomes a mildly obscene evocation of racial terrorism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 Apr. 2025
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Fifteen years after her husband’s drowning in the nearby bay, Tressilian’s days are spent in a cranky routine: grumbling over the obscene resort stationed on the opposite bluff, reading London’s gossip columns, and summoning the household help with the insistent ringing of a bedroom call bell.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One night after making a move to shore up their offensive line, the Kansas City Chiefs turned their attention to the other side of the ball and drafted Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott with the 31st pick of the second round Friday night.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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The interior offensive line was a massive need for the Dolphins, and Savaiinaea has the potential to be an elite guard.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These attacks work by causing a software package to access the wrong component dependency, for instance by publishing a malicious package and giving it the same name as the legitimate one but with a later version stamp.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
29 Apr. 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.—
Leslie Vinjamuri,
Foreign Affairs,
15 Nov. 2024
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Unlike Rhoades, a vituperative colossus, however, Williams brings a steely determination and a Joe Friday, just-the-facts mien to his lawyering in the court of public opinion.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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One upshot was Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which to this day insulates social media from legal liability for the content — however incendiary or scurrilous — that users post.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2025
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Facts won’t deter Republicans on this point, however, for the same reason that Trump and his running mate, J. D. Vance, keep repeating their scurrilous lies about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of Ohio: white anxiety about a diversifying country has become one of the Party’s greatest assets.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
The New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Congolese leaders have a tendency for invective and to blame all their ills on Rwanda.—
Jason K. Stearns,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
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The other sticky reality is that the vast majority of prospective CT buyers don’t pay attention to fringe media invective but make very practical buying decisions rooted in dollars and cents.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes,
24 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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