ABUSIVE

abusive

(adjective) characterized by physical or psychological maltreatment; “abusive punishment”; “argued...that foster homes are abusive”

abusive, opprobrious, scurrilous

(adjective) expressing offensive reproach

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

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.]

(obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.]

(archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.]

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.]

(archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.]

Synonyms

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

Source: Wiktionary

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A*bu"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abusif, fr. L. abusivus.]

1. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied. I am . . . necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof. Fuller.

2. Given to misusing; also, full of abuses. [Archaic] "The abusive prerogatives of his see." Hallam.

3. Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow.

4. Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. "An abusive lampoon." Johnson.

5. Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating. [Obs.] "An abusive treaty." Bacon.

Syn.

– Reproachful; scurrilous; opprobrious; insolent; insulting; injurious; offensive; reviling.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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