The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
abusive
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
abusive
(adjective)
abusive
/ə
ˈ
bjuːsɪv/
adjective
abusive
/ə
ˈ
bjuːsɪv/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of ABUSIVE
[
more abusive; most abusive
]
1
:
using harsh and insulting language
He spoke to her in an
abusive
manner. = He was
abusive
when he spoke to her.
abusive
language
The fans yelled
abusive
comments to the referee.
a verbally
abusive
fan
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
2
:
using or involving physical violence or emotional cruelty
an
abusive
parent
protecting wives from
abusive
husbands
people in
abusive
relationships
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
— abusively
adverb
The boss treated the staff
abusively
.
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
— abusiveness
noun
[
noncount
]
ASK THE EDITOR
What are the plural forms of
check-in
,
passerby
, and
spoonful
?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
expensive
:
costing a lot of money
Learn More »