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)

  1. 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.
  2. (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:
      an abusive treaty
  3. (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
  4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
  5. 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.
  6. (archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

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

References
  1. Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 6
  2. Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
  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.

French

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

Adjective

abusive

  1. feminine singular of abusif

Italian

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

Adjective

abusive

  1. feminine plural of abusivo

Anagrams

Latin

Pronunciation

Adjective

abūsīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of abūsīvus

References
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