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
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Squabbling coaches — Tindall had put his fingers to his lips to hush Unai Emery after Duran’s departure, earning invective in response — added to the sense of renaissance.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.
—Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Noun
Yet some of us in the audience, disgusted by the persistence of Nazism and anti-immigrant invective in the present, may well appreciate the force of McQueen’s rhetoric.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Squabbling coaches — Tindall had put his fingers to his lips to hush Unai Emery after Duran’s departure, earning invective in response — added to the sense of renaissance.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Congolese leaders have a tendency for invective and to blame all their ills on Rwanda.
—Jason K. Stearns, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
In his new biography of Barnes, Blake Gopnik foregrounds this democratic ethos, focusing specifically on the philanthropist’s contributions to building racial equality—despite Barnes’s notoriously cantankerous personality and his tendency toward invective and slur.
—Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invective
Noun
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Sentry, has documented mental health issues, was the victim of abuse, and struggled with addiction.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
2 May 2025
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The bill ensures women are safe in their bathrooms, locker rooms, showers and domestic abuse shelters.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Rolling Stone also previously uncovered a pattern of abusive behavior dating back to Combs’ time at Howard University.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
5 May 2025
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As fans saw in the first movie, Faith and Hope rebelliously set their house on fire to kill their abusive father and run away.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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
Noun
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Sarandos, playing a cheeky version of himself, delivers a sharp line about contractual award show shout-outs before signing off with an insult.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 May 2025
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People hurled insults as the police started taking down the barricades.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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Stripping a legislator of the power to vote over her opinions is outrageous.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
2 May 2025
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This is outrageous and the railroad must be overruled by President Trump and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and New York politicians, particularly Republicans who have good relations with the White House, have to raise the alarm.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Since returning to office, Trump has directed his administration to act aggressively against foreign nationals who the Administration has alleged are undermining American interests, particularly in the context of criticism of Israel and campus protests against the war in Gaza.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
9 May 2025
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Trump hasn't shied away from bashing Biden in speeches, online posts and executive orders, and the White House hasn't backed down in the face of the former president's criticisms.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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This dynamic has grown most acute between Iran and Saudi Arabia, whose tit-for-tat exchange is growing ever more vituperative and violent.—
Kenneth M. Pollack,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Feb. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invective. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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