abusive

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abusive

/əˈbjuː.sɪv/ UK
/əˈbju.sɪv/ US
/əˈbju.zɪv/ US

Where it comes from

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive.

adjective more abusive · most abusive

Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me.
Similar: scurrilous, reproachful, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative
obsolete Tending to deceive; fraudulent. an abusive treaty
archaic Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. […] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.
Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. I am […]necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.
archaic Catachrestic.

Opposite: abuseless, nonabusive, unabusive

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: insulting, offensive, scurrilous, scornful, opprobrious, harmful, outrageous, maltreatment, mistreatment, pejorative, derogatory, abused, foul-mouthed, malicious, demeaning, obscene

adjective

Opposite: abuseless, nonabusive, unabusive

Translations

Every language

adj practicing abuse

Español	abusivo
Português	abusivo
Română	abuziv
العربية	مُؤْذٍ muʔḏin, مُسِيء musīʔ

adj containing abuse

Português	abusivo
Русский	бра́нный bránnyj, руга́тельный rugátelʹnyj, ма́терный máternyj

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MLA

"abusive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/abusive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

abusive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/abusive

Chicago

"abusive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/abusive.

BibTeX

@misc{abusive_2026,
  title = {abusive},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/abusive},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}