abusive

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus,[1] from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”).[2] Equivalent to abuse +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈbjuː.sɪv/
(US) IPA^(key): /əˈbju.sɪv/, /əˈbju.zɪv/
Audio (UK) (file)

Adjective

abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)

Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. [First attested in the early 17th century.][3]
All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me and my colleagues.
(obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.][3]
- a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, OCLC 557721855:
  an abusive treaty
(archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.][3]
- 1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurdity:
  […] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.
- 1837, Henry Hallam, Introduction to the Literature of Europe:
  the abusive prerogatives of his see
Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]
- 1662, Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England:
  I am […] necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.
(archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]

Synonyms

(prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative

Antonyms

abuseless

Derived terms

abusively
abusiveness

Translations

wrongly used

Catalan: abusiu (ca)
Maori: ngutu momoho

practicing abuse

Asturian: abusivu
Catalan: abusiu (ca)
Galician: abusivo (gl)
Kabuverdianu: abuzadu, abuzóde
Latin: contumēliōsus
Maori: ngutu momoho (of talk)
Portuguese: abusivo (pt)
Spanish: abusivo (es)

containing abuse

Portuguese: abusivo (pt)
Russian: бра́нный (ru) (bránnyj), руга́тельный (ru) (rugátelʹnyj), ма́терный (ru) (máternyj)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} оскърбителен (bg) (oskǎrbitelen), ^{(please verify)} обиден (bg) (obiden)
Dutch: ^{(please verify)} grof (nl), ^{(please verify)} ruw (nl)
Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} grov (no)
Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can

References

Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 6
Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abusive”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a.by.ziv/
Audio (CAN) (file)
Homophone: abusives

Adjective

abusive

feminine singular of abusif

Italian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a.buˈzi.ve/
Rhymes: -ive
Hyphenation: a‧bu‧sì‧ve

Adjective

abusive

feminine plural of abusivo

Anagrams

Vesubia

Latin

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /a.buːˈsiː.u̯e/, [äbuːˈs̠iːu̯ɛ]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /a.buˈsi.ve/, [äbuˈs̬iːve]

Adjective

abūsīve

vocative masculine singular of abūsīvus

References

“abusive”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

[RHD-1] Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 6

[WI3-2] Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8

[SOED-3] Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abusive”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.