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
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.]
• (prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative
Source: Wiktionary
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
2 April 2025
(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.
