Word
abusive
Phoneticsabu·sive
US/əbˈjusɪv/
UK/ɐbjˈuːsɪv/
Definitions
01cruel or violent behavior
adj. using violence or cruel treatment against someone, often someone you live with or care for.
adj. characterized by physical violence or emotional maltreatment, typically within a relationship or household.
“She finally decided to leave her abusive partner and start a new life.”
“The social worker identified several signs of an abusive environment, noting the child's withdrawal and the parent's aggressive outbursts.”
02insulting language
adj. using rude, angry, or insulting words to attack someone.
adj. characterized by coarse, insulting, or vituperative language intended to demean or offend.
“The referee stopped the game because of the abusive comments from the crowd.”
“The politician faced severe criticism after an audio recording surfaced in which he used abusive language toward his staff.”
Antonyms
03wrongly used
adj. used in a way that is wrong, unfair, or illegal.
adj. pertaining to the misuse or misapplication of power, systems, or language.
“The company was sued for its abusive tax practices.”
“The court ruled that the monopoly's pricing strategy was abusive and harmful to fair market competition.”
Formal
Real-World Examples
“Some private schools have begun asking parents to sign a code of conduct to try to stop abusive behavior toward teachers.” “Leaving abusive relationships can be harder for migrant women.” Etymology
First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/abusive