ABUSIVE Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

abusive

adjective

ə-ˈbyü-siv

Definition of abusive

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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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 abusive Among the speakers was domestic violence survivor Deborah Coffy, who shared her personal experience and stressed the importance of educating young people about abusive relationships. — Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 The company is also announcing a partnership with Signify Group and IC360 to identify people who send abusive messages to athletes related to their Kalshi activity. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026 And many immigrants are staying in abusive relationships, fearful of calling for help or even stepping outside their homes. — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026 The story also explores Seymour's feelings for his co-worker Audrey, who is involved in an abusive relationship. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abusive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive

Adjective

Afterward, Lisa brags about her pickpocketing skills and says theft is easier and less insulting to the mark.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The mother was waiting with her daughter for her other children to get off a school bus when Blanco allegedly approached and made insulting comments, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said, according to WPRI.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of insulting

Adjective

Chargers-Chiefs game prediction If not for the Chargers’ outrageous injury list, this would make for the perfect situation to pick a surprise Los Angeles win, or at the very least a cover.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Nené — outrageous and drag-inflected — opens Sebastián up to the power of queerness, and Cruz played a similar role for Guitarricadelafuente.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of outrageous

Adjective

Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.

— Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscene

Adjective

In Maine, Graham Platner — who, like Avila Chevalier, had a vituperative social media history — easily defeated the state’s governor, Janet Mills, for the Senate nomination.

— Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 2026
The Irish comedy writer has become better known for his assertion that trans women are men and criticism of trans activism, expressed in often vituperative social media posts.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 May 2026

Definition of vituperative

Adjective

Moreover, the perpetrators do not appear to have used malicious code on the fridge controllers, potentially complicating efforts to track down who carried out the cyberattack, added Aimé.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

North Korea described the Hero Kim Kun Ok as one of the navy’s key offensive assets when it was unveiled in 2023.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Given all of Los Angeles’ injuries along its offensive line, this weekend’s matchup should present opportunities for the Chiefs’ front seven to get back to the quarterback — and perhaps earn a Cram Award along the way.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of offensive

Adjective

While sometimes vitriolic discussions about the gargantuan structures have accompanied increasingly unavoidable AI conversations, data centers themselves have been around since the 1940s.

— Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
The comments under Miller’s social media posts grew startlingly vitriolic.

— Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Definition of vitriolic

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“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abusive

adjective

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