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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Recent Examples of abusive
Greta Lee cameos as a singer-songwriter on MTV, Jodie Turner-Smith is an exercise show host and Domhnall Gleeson is in an abusive relationship with his pet cactus.
—
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
By 2017, her private life was unraveling amid family tensions, abusive coaching and hidden trauma.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Among them, Omari, who became a member of the Taliban as a boy, and Zahra, who at thirteen was married by her family to an abusive husband and who is determined to forge her own identity and create a better future for herself in this new Afghanistan.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo will miss his side’s Champions League play-off games against Benfica after being handed a two-match ban for abusive language.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
By 2017, her private life was unraveling amid family tensions, abusive coaching and hidden trauma.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Among them, Omari, who became a member of the Taliban as a boy, and Zahra, who at thirteen was married by her family to an abusive husband and who is determined to forge her own identity and create a better future for herself in this new Afghanistan.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo will miss his side’s Champions League play-off games against Benfica after being handed a two-match ban for abusive language.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abusive
Adjective
-
The discontent was more widespread, more vociferous and more insulting this time.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Trump recently published an insulting social media post about Massie's wife, Carolyn Grace Moffa, that was reposted on X by Gallrein.—
Lucas Aulbach,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The bravura production and costume design are respectively by Suzie Davies and Jacqueline Durran, both correctly tipping the outrageous into the tacky.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Laxness was the heir not only to the language and setting of the sagas but to their humanity, their outrageous understatement and charm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Weiner pled guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor in 2017 and spent 15 months in federal prison for the crime.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Texas Tech’s student section directed an obscene chant at Kansas’ Darryn Peterson as the freshman guard prepared to shoot a free throw late in the first half of the Jayhawks’ 64-61 victory over the Red Raiders on Monday night at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But, in private, Koren could be aggressive and vituperative—a competitive colleague who sought to destroy the reputations and careers of those who crossed him.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Bal and Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, while almost certainly proceeding without Israeli institutional support, given the vituperative reactions his recent films have provoked — and, by his own admission, have been designed to provoke.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2021, the now 38-year-old became the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator for Mike Zimmer’s final year as head coach.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Michigan had 17 offensive boards and outrebounded Ohio State 44-31.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In the Hulu version of the story, Clarke plays Alex, a middle-aged lawyer stealing money from his clients and funneling it into an opioid addiction and, the series implies, other scurrilous crimes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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The justices who renounced that lie in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center exposed themselves to scurrilous criticisms and even threats to their safety.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
When the San Francisco Chronicle axed its stand-alone books section, in 2001, the paper’s editors were overwhelmed by an ensuing crush of vitriolic mail.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In the live chat of viewers following along, the commentary ranged from appreciative to vitriolic.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abusive. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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