as in abuse
harsh insulting language
hurled curses and invective at the driver who heedlessly cut them off in traffic
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
an overbearing, bullying boss who is fond of sending invective e-mails to long-suffering assistants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of invective
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Not surprisingly, Beijing has reacted to Lai’s address with a string of invective.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Don Riddell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Kirk knew this and was quite successful at playing this game, using social media to spread invective, troll his political opponents, polarize his audience, and grow his movement.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Noun
That means Paulson gets much of the choicest dialogue and the most colorful invective.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Not surprisingly, Beijing has reacted to Lai’s address with a string of invective.
—Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Rory McIlroy was the lightning rod for the invective, and so was his wife.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Kirk knew this and was quite successful at playing this game, using social media to spread invective, troll his political opponents, polarize his audience, and grow his movement.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invective
Noun
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The child's mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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On one hand, some argue that Good was attempting to leave the scene, and a trigger-happy ICE agent fired his weapon at her, an abuse of authority.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The federal agency was tasked with creating and enforcing rules to protect consumers from abusive practices across a range of financial institutions.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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Back home, their physically abusive father stalks the shadowy hallways.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
STAT Staff,
STAT,
29 Dec. 2025
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Apparently, my father approached the people hurling the insults and asked them to stop.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The president also called Walz and Frey himself Monday after weeks of hurling insults and accusing the Democratic officials of inciting resistance to the crackdown.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One year, countless outrageous ensembles and quippy one-liners later, viewers still can’t get enough of her.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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The Lakers broke the NBA with that trade a year ago; a repeat event would be pretty outrageous, even for this franchise.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, Walz abandoned his campaign for a third term this month amid criticism over mismanagement of taxpayer funding for child care programs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … ‘NEVER AGAIN’ – Tim Walz to end political career amid fraud scandal and party criticism.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But, in private, Koren could be aggressive and vituperative—a competitive colleague who sought to destroy the reputations and careers of those who crossed him.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Bal and Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, while almost certainly proceeding without Israeli institutional support, given the vituperative reactions his recent films have provoked — and, by his own admission, have been designed to provoke.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invective. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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