INVECTIVES Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

invectives

noun

plural of invective

as in abuses

harsh insulting language hurled curses and invective at the driver who heedlessly cut them off in traffic

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 invectives These invectives evidently haven’t spooked Son, who once predicted that AI superintelligence would exist by 2035. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 July 2026 At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground. — Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026 Riley would have invented invectives. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026 Today’s writers use it to wildly different ends, from political invectives to plainspoken diaries to surreal dreamscapes. — Patrick Dundon, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for invectives

Noun

But it must be followed with a deep dive to detect other abuses.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
To safeguard against these abuses of power, democracies like the UK and US have hearings, committees, and other measures to hold their intelligence bodies accountable, said Shetler-Jones.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 July 2026

Definition of abuses

Noun

In recent years, Georgia’s State Election Board has been plagued by infighting, feuds, insults, partisan maneuvering and out-and-out shouting matches.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
His tenure came to an end when video surfaced of a drunken Galliano berating other customers at a Paris bar with vile antisemitic insults.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of insults

Noun

Some scientists in the room said Kennedy’s expressions of appreciation were difficult to hear after his previous criticisms of the CDC, as well as federal health department cuts last year that included hundreds of positions at the agency.

— Lena H. Sun, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026
The movie itself disappoints him for its deviations from the Stephen King novel (including this detail may help preempt criticisms over this adaptation), but he’s also distracted by the presence of a strikingly handsome stranger (Homer Gere).

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticisms

Noun

The cumulative impression of Alice that the book leaves is of someone moving serenely through life, meeting fond blessings and awful curses both with the same calm equanimity.

— Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
The woods could be hiding places of witches and sorcerers, disguised as the old and feeble, but capable of summoning wonder and terrors, charms as well as curses.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026

Definition of curses

Browse Nearby Words

invective

invectives

inveigh

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Invectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invectives. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of invectives

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on invectives

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

baptism of fire

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes