abusive

adjective
UK: /əˈbjuːsɪv/
US: /əˈbjuːsɪv/

  1. Using cruel words or violence towards someone.

    1. He was abusive to his dog. [ ] [ ]
    2. The abusive man shouted many cruel words at the poor street performer. [ ] [ ]

  2. Involving threats, insults, or other forms of mistreatment.

    1. That boss is being abusive. [ ] [ ]
    2. The abusive comments online made the young girl feel insecure and worthless. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

offensive insulting cruel harsh vituperative scurrilous

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "abusive" in English means: Using cruel words or violence towards someone., Involving threats, insults, or other forms of mistreatment..

The phonetic transcription of "abusive" is /əˈbjuːsɪv/ in British English and /əˈbjuːsɪv/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "abusive": offensive, insulting, cruel, harsh, vituperative, scurrilous.

Example usage of "abusive": "He was abusive to his dog.". More examples on the page.