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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abusive
All of the players bring their A-game, but the stunner here is Toni Collette, whose open-wound performance as a mother who is both abused and abusive would have easily netted a best actress Oscar nomination from an awards-giving body that wasn’t notoriously, reliably biased against genre movies.
—
Jason Bailey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
After leaving an abusive relationship, Simmons and her two sons became homeless.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
The allegations came after the #MeToo movement rocked Hollywood and many people spoke up after abusive workplace conditions were re-evaluated and condemned.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Nickelodeon cut ties with Schneider, 59, in March 2018 after reports of his alleged abusive behavior on set.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Jason Bailey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
After leaving an abusive relationship, Simmons and her two sons became homeless.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
The allegations came after the #MeToo movement rocked Hollywood and many people spoke up after abusive workplace conditions were re-evaluated and condemned.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Nickelodeon cut ties with Schneider, 59, in March 2018 after reports of his alleged abusive behavior on set.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
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Sean Griffin, local executive council president for the union, said the pay is insulting.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2025
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To suggest civil servants don’t work hard and could do more for less is insulting to the hundreds of thousands of hard-working federal workers earning their paychecks today.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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As a woman, I am appalled by Michael Tanzi's outrageous actions.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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Several major automakers like Audi and Volkswagen have paused shipments to the United States to avoid paying outrageous import tariffs.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, in 1976 as part of a group show of artists’ books, Santoro’s volume was immediately censored as obscene and offensive.—
Paola Ugolini,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
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Cybertruck owners have shared displays of hostility from other motorists on a Facebook page, including vulgar notes left on their vehicles and obscene gestures directed at them from passing cars.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, in 1976 as part of a group show of artists’ books, Santoro’s volume was immediately censored as obscene and offensive.—
Paola Ugolini,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
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Specifically, Schottenheimer is looking at the offensive and defensive lines as areas where competition will be rampant heading into the season.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Jose Velasquez-Martinez, 27, is charged with malicious wounding and murder in connection with 29-year-old Brandon Probst's death in Warrenton, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
4 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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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
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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