abusiveadjective
uk/əˈbjuː.sɪv/us/əˈbjuː.sɪv/C2 using rude and offensive words:
an abusive letter/phone call
He was apparently abusive to the flight attendants.
More examples
- Her husband's violent and abusive behaviour drove her to despair.
- She turned around and made an abusive gesture at me.
- What do you do if a customer starts getting abusive and angry?
- The film contains violence and abusive language and is unsuitable for children.
- She left because the boss was very unpleasant and abusive towards her.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Insults & abuse
- arse-licker
- asshole
- be close to the bone idiom
- brickbat
- cut (sb) to the quick idiom
- denigrate
- fuck
- fuck you/them/it idiom
- give someone a mouthful idiom
- mouth
- mouthful
- name-calling
- score
- shit
- sledging
- snowflake
- stick
- take sb's name in vain idiom
- trifle
- trifle with sb/sth
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