"abusive" meaning in English

See abusive in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /əˈbjuː.sɪv/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əˈbju.sɪv/ [US], /əˈbju.zɪv/ [US] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-abusive.wav Forms: more abusive [comparative], most abusive [superlative]
Etymology: First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive. Etymology templates: {{der|en|fr|abusif}} French abusif, {{der|en|la|abūsīvus}} Latin abūsīvus, {{suffix|en|abuse|ive}} abuse + -ive Head templates: {{en-adj}} abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)
  1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. Synonyms (prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-O9LTkrKG Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 11 12 8 13 31 Disambiguation of 'prone to treating badly': 81 2 2 3 9 2
  2. (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. Tags: obsolete
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-dlas2A5u Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 11 12 8 13 31
  3. (archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. Tags: archaic Translations (containing abuse): abusivo (Portuguese), бра́нный (bránnyj) (Russian), руга́тельный (rugátelʹnyj) (Russian), ма́терный (máternyj) (Russian) Translations (practicing abuse): مُؤْذٍ (muʔḏin) [masculine] (Arabic), مُسِيء (musīʔ) [masculine] (Arabic), abusivu (Asturian), abusiu (Catalan), abusivo (Galician), maslach (Irish), abuzadu (Kabuverdianu), abuzóde (Kabuverdianu), contumēliōsus (Latin), ngutu momoho (note: of talk) (Maori), abusivo (Portuguese), abuziv (Romanian), abusivo (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-V4eYUZXg Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 11 12 8 13 31 Disambiguation of 'containing abuse': 3 2 76 15 4 0 Disambiguation of 'practicing abuse': 9 6 41 31 9 4
  4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-Z5S11UtI
  5. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. Translations (wrongly used): abusiu (Catalan), ngutu momoho (Maori)
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-VHi5KR4J Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 11 12 8 13 31 Disambiguation of 'wrongly used': 4 1 2 2 91 1
  6. (archaic) Catachrestic. Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-abusive-en-adj-~fAZwVm4 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ive, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 4 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Asturian translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Kabuverdianu translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 14 13 14 9 16 34 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ive: 16 12 13 9 16 34 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 26 11 12 8 13 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 6 5 6 4 6 25 22 22 2 2 1 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 7 7 7 5 8 22 19 19 4 1 1 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 21 10 11 8 11 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Asturian translations: 19 10 12 8 12 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 19 10 12 8 12 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 20 10 12 7 12 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 17 10 12 8 12 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 22 9 11 8 13 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Kabuverdianu translations: 16 10 11 7 11 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 20 9 11 7 11 43 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 22 10 11 8 11 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 21 10 11 8 12 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 21 10 12 8 11 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 17 10 12 8 12 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 20 9 11 7 11 43 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 16 10 11 7 12 42
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: abusively, abusiveness, abusivity

Alternative forms

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "abuseless"
    },
    {
      "word": "nonabusive"
    },
    {
      "word": "unabusive"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "abusively"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "abusiveness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "abusivity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "abusif"
      },
      "expansion": "French abusif",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "abūsīvus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin abūsīvus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "abuse",
        "3": "ive"
      },
      "expansion": "abuse + -ive",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more abusive",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most abusive",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the early 17th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 11 12 8 13 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "text": "All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me and my colleagues.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-O9LTkrKG",
      "links": [
        [
          "insulting",
          "insulting"
        ],
        [
          "vituperative",
          "vituperative"
        ],
        [
          "reproachful",
          "reproachful"
        ],
        [
          "scurrilous",
          "scurrilous"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "reproachful"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "scurrilous"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "opprobrious"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "insolent"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "insulting"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "injurious"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "offensive"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "reviling"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "berating"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 2 2 3 9 2",
          "sense": "prone to treating badly",
          "word": "vituperative"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 11 12 8 13 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:",
          "text": "an abusive treaty",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to deceive; fraudulent."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-dlas2A5u",
      "links": [
        [
          "fraudulent",
          "fraudulent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the late 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 11 12 8 13 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              104,
              111
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurdity:",
          "text": "[…] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              11
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1837, Henry Hallam, Introduction to the Literature of Europe:",
          "text": "the abusive prerogatives of his see",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-V4eYUZXg",
      "links": [
        [
          "misuse",
          "misuse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "lang_code": "ar",
          "roman": "muʔḏin",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "مُؤْذٍ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "lang_code": "ar",
          "roman": "musīʔ",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "مُسِيء"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ast",
          "lang": "Asturian",
          "lang_code": "ast",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abusivu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "lang_code": "ca",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abusiu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "lang_code": "gl",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abusivo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "lang_code": "ga",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "maslach"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "kea",
          "lang": "Kabuverdianu",
          "lang_code": "kea",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abuzadu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "kea",
          "lang": "Kabuverdianu",
          "lang_code": "kea",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abuzóde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "lang_code": "la",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "contumēliōsus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "note": "of talk",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "ngutu momoho"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abusivo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abuziv"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 6 41 31 9 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "practicing abuse",
          "word": "abusivo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 76 15 4 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "containing abuse",
          "word": "abusivo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 76 15 4 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "bránnyj",
          "sense": "containing abuse",
          "word": "бра́нный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 76 15 4 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "rugátelʹnyj",
          "sense": "containing abuse",
          "word": "руга́тельный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 2 76 15 4 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "máternyj",
          "sense": "containing abuse",
          "word": "ма́терный"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-Z5S11UtI",
      "links": [
        [
          "injurious",
          "injurious"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the mid 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 11 12 8 13 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              77,
              84
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1662, Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England:",
          "text": "I am […]necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-VHi5KR4J",
      "links": [
        [
          "Wrongly",
          "wrongly"
        ],
        [
          "perverted",
          "perverted"
        ],
        [
          "misapplied",
          "misapplied"
        ],
        [
          "unjust",
          "unjust"
        ],
        [
          "The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles",
          "w:Shorter Oxford English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "Oxford University Press",
          "w:Oxford University Press"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 1 2 2 91 1",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "lang_code": "ca",
          "sense": "wrongly used",
          "word": "abusiu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "4 1 2 2 91 1",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "lang_code": "mi",
          "sense": "wrongly used",
          "word": "ngutu momoho"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the mid 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "14 13 14 9 16 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 12 13 9 16 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ive",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 11 12 8 13 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 5 6 4 6 25 22 22 2 2 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 4 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 7 5 8 22 19 19 4 1 1",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 10 11 8 11 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 10 12 8 12 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Asturian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 10 12 8 12 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 10 12 7 12 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 10 12 8 12 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 9 11 8 13 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 10 11 7 11 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Kabuverdianu translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 9 11 7 11 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 10 11 8 11 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 10 11 8 12 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 10 12 8 11 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 10 12 8 12 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 9 11 7 11 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 10 11 7 12 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Catachrestic."
      ],
      "id": "en-abusive-en-adj-~fAZwVm4",
      "links": [
        [
          "Catachrestic",
          "catachrestic"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Catachrestic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbjuː.sɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbju.sɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbju.zɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-abusive.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9f/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9f/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "abusive"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "abuseless"
    },
    {
      "word": "nonabusive"
    },
    {
      "word": "unabusive"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms suffixed with -ive",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
    "Requests for review of Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Asturian translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Kabuverdianu translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "abusively"
    },
    {
      "word": "abusiveness"
    },
    {
      "word": "abusivity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "abusif"
      },
      "expansion": "French abusif",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "abūsīvus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin abūsīvus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "abuse",
        "3": "ive"
      },
      "expansion": "abuse + -ive",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more abusive",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most abusive",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the early 17th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "text": "All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me and my colleagues.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "insulting",
          "insulting"
        ],
        [
          "vituperative",
          "vituperative"
        ],
        [
          "reproachful",
          "reproachful"
        ],
        [
          "scurrilous",
          "scurrilous"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:",
          "text": "an abusive treaty",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to deceive; fraudulent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fraudulent",
          "fraudulent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the late 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              104,
              111
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurdity:",
          "text": "[…] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              11
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1837, Henry Hallam, Introduction to the Literature of Europe:",
          "text": "the abusive prerogatives of his see",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "misuse",
          "misuse"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "injurious",
          "injurious"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the mid 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              77,
              84
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1662, Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England:",
          "text": "I am […]necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Wrongly",
          "wrongly"
        ],
        [
          "perverted",
          "perverted"
        ],
        [
          "misapplied",
          "misapplied"
        ],
        [
          "unjust",
          "unjust"
        ],
        [
          "The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles",
          "w:Shorter Oxford English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "Oxford University Press",
          "w:Oxford University Press"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the mid 16th century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Catachrestic."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Catachrestic",
          "catachrestic"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Catachrestic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbjuː.sɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbju.sɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbju.zɪv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-abusive.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9f/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/9f/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-M%C3%A9lange_a_trois-abusive.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "reproachful"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "scurrilous"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "opprobrious"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "insolent"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "insulting"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "injurious"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "offensive"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "reviling"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "berating"
    },
    {
      "sense": "prone to treating badly",
      "word": "vituperative"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "sense": "wrongly used",
      "word": "abusiu"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "sense": "wrongly used",
      "word": "ngutu momoho"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "muʔḏin",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "مُؤْذٍ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "musīʔ",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "مُسِيء"
    },
    {
      "code": "ast",
      "lang": "Asturian",
      "lang_code": "ast",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abusivu"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abusiu"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abusivo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "maslach"
    },
    {
      "code": "kea",
      "lang": "Kabuverdianu",
      "lang_code": "kea",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abuzadu"
    },
    {
      "code": "kea",
      "lang": "Kabuverdianu",
      "lang_code": "kea",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abuzóde"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "contumēliōsus"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "lang_code": "mi",
      "note": "of talk",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "ngutu momoho"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abusivo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abuziv"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "practicing abuse",
      "word": "abusivo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "containing abuse",
      "word": "abusivo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "bránnyj",
      "sense": "containing abuse",
      "word": "бра́нный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "rugátelʹnyj",
      "sense": "containing abuse",
      "word": "руга́тельный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "máternyj",
      "sense": "containing abuse",
      "word": "ма́терный"
    }
  ],
  "word": "abusive"
}

Download raw JSONL data for abusive meaning in English (8.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (d1270d2 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.